Change of Plans
by AJWild
Summary: Annika's life is turned upside-down when her mother dies and she goes to live with her father and half-brother, Embry, in La Push. Trying to fit in on the reservation isn't easy but when she meets the broken-hearted Jacob Black will it be worse or better?
1. Chapter 1

**The setting is after Eclipse. Ignores Breaking Dawn. This will eventually be an OC/Jacob story. Bella and the Cullens will make appearances. It's rated M because there will be some cussing and sexual content in the future. **

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I bow to her greatness.**

BAM BAM BAM

I was startled out of my sleep by a pounding on the front door of my apartment. I glanced at my alarm clock and a garish 4:00 A.M. blinked back at me. My fuzzy brain was trying to catch up with my body as I slowly slid out from under the covers.

BAM BAM BAM

"Hold your frickin' horses! I'm coming!" I yelled toward the general direction of the living room. I stumbled toward the front door in my tank top and underwear. "Who is it?"

"NYPD, ma'am"

Bullshit. But I had reached the door and a quick look through the peephole produced the sight of a familiar black jacket and hat. "What do you want?" I called through the door,

"Are you Annika Sunstrom? I'm Officer Barrett. I need to come in and talk to you."

I'd grown up in Manhattan, mostly on my own and I wasn't a fool, "I'm going to call 911 and make sure this is legit."

"Of course," came the reply.

The phone was lodged between my ear and shoulder so I could pull on a pair of jeans and zip-up hoodie while the 911 dispatcher confirmed that it was, in fact, Officer Barrett at my door and not some poser in a police uniform. I undid the three dead bolts and opened the door. My Indian neighbor, Ananda, also had her head peeked out her door, "Are you okay, Anni?" she asked in her soothing, English accent.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks." I gave her a reassuring smile and she smiled back and ducked back inside. "Please come in Officer," I said, opening the door wider and stepping out of his way.

He took off his hat as he stepped through the door and took in the cluttered mess that was the apartment I shared with my mother when she happened to be in town. He cleared his throat, "I'm afraid I have some unfortunate news to give you. Maybe you should sit down…" We both looked around at the seats of the chairs, each one covered with a stack of paper, each one a different manuscript. I picked one at random and didn't bother to move it, just sat on top of it.

His hat was being twisted around in his hands incessantly and the action made my stomach clench in unpleasant anticipation. "I'm afraid I have some bad news about your mother. We received a call from Hamburg officials tonight that your mother, Sofia Sunstrom, was in a fatal accident on the autobahn. I'm sorry." He watched me as I sat in silence. What was he waiting for me to do? Burst in to tears? Start tearing at my hair? It didn't seem real so I just sat and watched his hands and he continued, "You were the only family we could locate. Do you have any other family members? Someone we can call that may take you in? Do you have a father?" Father... Yes, I had a father. Not that I'd ever met him. I didn't even know if he knew about me. Officer Barrett continued again, "I don't know why you're all alone now but you're only 16 and we can't just leave you here by yourself. If you don't have anybody we can call for you, Child Protective Services can find you a place to stay."

My traitorous mouth was opening before I could stop it, "I have a father. He lives in Washington."

The officer looked relieved, "Great, do you have his number?"

I stood up and mutely walked over to the antique roll-top desk. My hands lovingly caressed the shiny wood as I pulled out one of the side drawers and proceeded to up-end the entire contents on to the floor. Then I ran my hands along the bottom of the drawer until I felt the catch and released it, opening up a secret false bottom. I breathed a sigh of relief as the three things I'd expected to find were still there. My birth certificate, a newspaper article, and an old photograph. In the picture my mother sat on a bar stool. Her model good looks breathtakingly familiar. Her legs were crossed and she leaned forward across the bar with her white-blonde hair falling over her shoulders and her long arms seeming to be reaching toward the bartender. The bartender was a handsome Native American man. He was standing close to my mother, cleaning a glass with a rag and smiling down on her adoringly. His wedding ring glinted in the flash of the camera. I knew what the back of the photo already said in her flowery script. My ten-year-old self had spent countless hours pondering those three pieces of paper after coming across the hidden compartment on accident. It would say:

Joseph Call and me

La Push, Washington

1993

Officer Barrett was staring with one raised eyebrow at the hidden compartment and I felt the need to explain, "I wasn't supposed to know it was there. I don't think my father knows I exist." I left the newspaper article on the floor and with shaking hands showed him the photograph of the man and that his name matched the name on my birth certificate. "I'm sorry I don't have an actual phone number for you. Maybe he's still there. Maybe there isn't too many Joseph Calls around."

He smiled at me reassuringly, "I'll personally be on top of this first thing in the morning. In the mean time, I can't leave you here alone. I have a feeling it's not new for you but it's policy to make sure a minor is taken care of in these situations."

"My neighbor, Ananda… the one that opened her door earlier. She always makes sure I'm okay when my mother is on a business trip."

He nodded, "I'll go talk with her now."

I had been left alone in this apartment for most of my teen years but it suddenly hit me that I really was alone now. My mother wasn't going to be coming back between her business trips ever again. I'd never come home after school and find her pouring over a book or come out to get a drink of water at midnight and see her typing away furiously at her desk underneath the small desk lamp. We'd never make peanut butter and nutella sandwiches in the kitchen together or paint our toenails on the fire escape while we watched the sun set through the high rises. She'd never again run her fingers through my long blond hair I'd inherited from her while she shared what she'd found on her exciting travels all over the world. My knees felt weak and I made my way over to the couch. In frustration I pushed three large piles of paper on to the floor to create a place to crash into. It wasn't like my mother was going to come back and work on them. I buried my head in my hands and felt the first tears begin to leak out through my fingers. Seconds later I felt the couch beside me give way and knew Ananda had joined me. She was my mother's age but she had birthed 5 children and cooked mountains of food to show them her love. Her body was ample, soft and always smelled like jasmine and curry. This wasn't the first time I had cried in her arms and it felt like home.


	2. Chapter 2

It was noon the following day. I hadn't bothered going to school even though the year had only started last week and my best friend, Frankie, had been blowing up my phone for hours but I just couldn't talk to him. I couldn't make the words "my mom is dead," come out of my mouth just yet and so I didn't answer his calls or texts. I had spent a good part of the morning at the mirror with the picture of my mom and Joseph Call, studying my face. Cataloguing which features belonged to whom. My mother had been extremely beautiful. Tall with long, blonde hair, delicate features, and big blue eyes that were all classic traits of her Swedish heritage. I always wished I had turned out like a carbon copy of her but no amount of wishing could change my odd mix of Swedish and Native American. One time at an art exhibit in the city I had come across a painting by Pablo Picasso entitled The Dream. In it a woman sits in a chair, her head thrown back in peaceful sleep. Each one of her features is lovely, perfect even, but they don't seem to fit together, each one seeming to be fighting for dominance of her face. I had always felt like that peaceful dreamer, each part of me beautiful on it's own but never quite meshing together. From my mother I had received her long, blond hair, each strand as straight as an arrow and unwilling to let me do anything else with it, a small heart-shaped face, blue irises framed with light blonde eyelashes that always needed two coats of mascara just to prove they actually existed, and a small mouth with lips that were just a little too full. I had gotten my mother's narrow waist, small bust and long limbs but unlike her "twigs" as she called them, mine were shaped with natural muscle. From my father, I had gotten his large and almond shaped eyes that turned down a little on the outside and always succeeded in making me look a little bit sad, a strong chin that was one of the few things I liked about myself, high cheekbones and a nose that was perfectly straight but too big for my face. I had gotten my height from both of them and at 5'10" I was taller than every other girl in my Christian private school and even taller than Frankie by half an inch, though he adamantly denied it. My mother's skin had been smooth and white like a bowl of cream but my own skin was darker than skin had any business being next to such light hair but luckily, I didn't stand out in the melting pot that was Manhattan.

Now I was sitting in Officer Barrett's cubicle waiting for him to get back from what his desk neighbor had called a coffee break. My feet bounced nervously underneath the chair as I studied the three shoulder height walls. Pictures of his wife and two sons occupied much of it as well as a plaque for being injured in duty last year. My eyes wandered to the top of the desk… standard monitor and keyboard, pencil holder made out of a juice can and decorated with tissue paper that was obviously a gift from one of his sons, a metal inbox consisting of three trays and on the very top was a manila file labeled 'Sunstrom'. I quickly looked around to make sure nobody was looking at me and snatched the folder off the desk. The first thing was a photocopy of my birth certificate, then a photocopy of my mother's passport with our Manhattan address, after that a fax of the accident report from Germany. I skimmed it as quickly as I could. Single car accident, an estimated speed of 120 mph, black mustang, instantaneous death, crushed skull. I quickly flipped the page and couldn't believe when I came upon something worse: a page of scanned photos of the crash scene. There was one from across the highway of the smashed up Mustang, a picture of the driver's side where all that was visible through a smashed window was a hand with painted fingernails (my mother's favorite color, Moon over Miami) and a mass of hair covered in blood. Surprisingly the image that disturbed me the most was a close up of the ground where two of her teeth lay a foot apart from each other and circled in red spray paint like they were trying to find all the pieces to put her back together.

I don't know how long I stared at it in shock but suddenly the folder was yanked out of my hand and I found myself looking up at a red-faced officer Barrett. "I'm… I'm sorry!" he stammered. "I didn't want you to see that…. I'm sorry."

My face must have looked as sick as I felt because he shoved a trashcan into my hands where the file had been and I promptly threw up into it. I could feel the eyes of everyone nearby on me but when I lifted up my head their attention was suddenly elsewhere as they went back to their business. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have looked." He didn't disagree. "Officer Barrett, there's something I don't understand. My mother never drove. She didn't even have a license. Whenever she was in town we walked everywhere or took the subway and I can count on one hand how many times I've been in a cab with her. She told me that she was in a car accident when she was a little girl in Sweden that killed her father and didn't get in a car unless she could help it. When you told me she had been in a car accident, I assumed someone else had been driving." He just continued to stare at me so I tried to drive my point home, "There's no scenario in my head that would have her driving 120 miles an hour on the autobahn of all places."

Officer Barrett sank into his chair. "Nobody else could have survived that accident, let alone walked away from it and there was nobody else in the car. She must have been driving it on her own… She had a series of books about traveling right?" I nodded. "Maybe she was driving on the autobahn to experience it so she could write about it."

I shook my head. "No, she was a travel writer who investigated local legends. You know, stuff like Sasquatch and the Loch Ness Monster. I don't see how driving a car ridiculously fast fits in to that."

"I don't know what to tell you. I will pass along that information to Hamburg but I don't know what they can make out of it, if anything." We sat in silence for a moment and then he added, "I found your father," I let out a rush of breath I didn't know I'd been holding. "Joseph Call still lives in La Push. That bar in the picture… apparently, he owns it because I called the local police department and they knew him and gave me that number. He said he's known about you but he had no clue where you and your mother were located. He said he'd take you in. I've already contacted a lawyer to help you settle your mother's estate and CPS will assist you with the move to Washington."

My brain tried to keep up with all the information and it left me feeling tired so I just nodded my head and stuck out my hand like we'd just agreed on some kind of business deal. He shook it, looking relieved that he was done dealing with me. I couldn't blame him. Having a desk job where you had to go tell people their loved ones were dead couldn't be fun. "Thank you for your help Officer Barrett."

"You're welcome, Annika. Washington is a beautiful place, I hope you enjoy it."


	3. Chapter 3

True to his word the lawyer that Officer Barrett found was extremely helpful. He tracked down my mom's will and together we sold the apartment for a little less than it was worth given the time crunch. My mother and I had lived beneath our means. I had always known that. It wasn't like she was a best-selling author but her books were well-known in the travel circuit and we could have afforded a decent-sized loft with a doorman but my mother had never been the settling down type and since she was never around she had decided on a 700 sq foot apartment in a 5 story walk-up that she didn't expect to be in for long. It ended up being the only home I'd known and my company when she was gone was a parade of nannies that would quit when they were offered a more prolific family to work for and Ananda. As a result we had nothing left to owe on the mortgage and all the money from the sale as well as the auction of our furniture went into a trust fund that she had established for me at an early age. A trust fund I had no access to until I was 21. All additional compensation for the sale of her books would go directly into this account as well. The only items I kept to ship to La Push were my bed, my dresser, boxes of clothes and art supplies, and the roll-top desk with the secret compartment. I had carefully separated out my mom's unfinished manuscripts, secured them together with large rubber bands and sent them to her publisher. I didn't tell him that I had kept the majority of her notes and chapters in the laptop that had been shipped home from Germany. I don't know why. Perhaps for sentimental value. After my apartment sold I stayed in Ananda's apartment surrounded by her five children who I adored and the night before I left she threw me a going-away party and had Frankie invite some of my friends from school. Everybody toasted me with sparkling cider and gave sweet speeches and Ananda even let me have one last sleepover with Frankie since it had always been obvious that Frankie played for another team and there was no danger of "hanky-panky" between us, as she had put it. Frankie cried like a girl when we said goodbye at the airport and refused to let go of me until I promised to visit. Soon.

That's how I ended up on a plane from New York to Seattle and then on a really small four-seater plane from Seattle to Forks that made me grip my hands together so tightly my knuckles had turned white.

I didn't know what to expect when I got there, no idea how my father would react toward me or for that matter, the half-brother I knew I had. I wasn't completely clueless of my mother's life in La Push and why she had left. I had found the secret compartment and read the newspaper article entitled, "Local woman dies in car accident on slippery road." Her name had been Julie Call and she had died 7 months before I was born and was survived by her husband, Joseph Call, and their 5-month-old son, Embry. One night when my mother came in really late from a night of Sangria drinking with her editor, who I suspect was sometimes more than her editor, I asked her about my father. My mother loved to drink which pretty much explained my bartender father but she couldn't hold her alcohol very well and she must have forgotten who was asking her the question. Her eyes got a glassy, far away look and she told me that she had been in Washington researching an old Native American legend of shape-shifters when she met my father. They had had an affair and she had gotten pregnant. His wife had been driving to confront her and Joseph when she lost control of the car and crashed. My mother had felt so guilty she had left in the middle of that night and never looked back. When my mother woke up the next day she acted like she didn't remember our conversation and I never brought it up again.

When the rickety plane finally landed at the strip of tarmac that encompassed the "airport" of Forks I almost knelt and kissed the ground with relief but I caught myself when I saw who I could only assume was my father leaning against a beat-up blue truck with his hands shoved into the pocket of his faded jeans. The closer I got to him the more I realized how unkind time had been to him. His long, dark hair had been pulled back in a ponytail but it was thin and the hairline had receded a good two inches back. He was still tall but no longer thin and he carried a beer belly in the front. Deep wrinkles were set in his face and his skin was slightly jaundiced and when I got close enough to smell him I realized it was probably from being an alcoholic and a smoker. Great. Joseph Call had turned into an old man long before his time.

He gave me a smile and I could see the faint ghost of the handsome man in the photograph. I smiled back as we stood there in front of each other, awkwardly. "Let me take that for you," he said, reaching for my backpack and opening the passenger side door. He threw it between the bucket seats and stood back so I could get in. We silently pulled out of the airport and onto a highway. I watched the green fir trees fly by and looked longingly at the changing color of the other leaves as they reminded me of Central Park this time of year. He broke the silence, "So your flights were okay?"

"Yeah."

"Good." More silence. "So you're from New York?"

"Yeah."

"I'm really sorry about your mother."

I didn't respond. I didn't mean to sound rude but I was trying so hard to think of something to say that I couldn't think of anything at all.

He continued, "La Push is about as far as you get from a big city. The reservation is spread out but the community is small and everybody knows everybody. I signed you up at the rez high school but you can attend Forks High School if you like. They're a little more… diverse."

"The reservation's school is fine," I replied, "It's only for two years anyway, right?"

"Right," Joseph said quietly. The cab of the truck fell back into silence. I looked over and he seemed to be thinking hard about something. "Annika-"

"Anni," I corrected him. "Everybody calls me Anni."

"Okay… Anni, I need to tell you that people look out for each other here and they talk. A lot. I don't know how much you know about your mother and me but I feel I need to warn you that you're not going to be welcomed with open arms." Joseph looked over to gauge my reaction.

"Don't worry. I know enough that I didn't expect to be," I answered which seemed to put him at a little more at ease. I felt bad for him. I doubt it would be easy to tell your newfound daughter that everybody thinks of you as an adulterer and her mother as a whore.

We were coasting down a steep hill and from the top I could see beautiful cliffs to the west and below them was ocean as far as I could see. It was breathtaking. Toward the bottom of the hill we began to see small houses sitting back from the road, in various states of disrepair. Abandoned and rusted cars dotted the yards in some places and in others horses grazed amiably. Sometimes the trees would give way to small fields or meadows but more often than not, we were surrounded by forest. Eventually we came to a block with businesses on either side that were all weathered with age. We were in downtown La Push. There was a church, a grocery store, a gas station, a community center, and a few other buildings that weren't clearly labeled. At the very end of the block was an older two-story building that was kept up a little nicer than the others. Neon beverage signs glowed in the darkened windows of the first floor. "That's my bar," Joseph pointed at it as we passed. "I own the hotel above it as well. I do okay for us. Better than most of my neighbors. A bar is a good business to have around here. Not much else to do, you know. It's been in the family for many generations." We passed through the town and he pointed down a side street toward a cluster of small buildings with red roofs. "There's all the schools. You can walk there from the house or borrow one of the cars. They're old but they all run. Embry and his friends see to that."

"I don't know how to drive. No need with the subway and all. I'll just walk."

"Hmm," he grunted.

"Or maybe Embry could give me a ride when it's raining," I offered.

"Hmm." This grunt sounded a lot less agreeable. "Don't expect him to be around much. You know how teenage boys are. Can't keep him in school most of the time. Off doing his own thing with his pack of friends. Don't expect him to hang out around the house much either." It didn't take a mind reader to get between those lines: he wants nothing to do with you so don't bother. That wasn't unexpected given the circumstances but it stung a little if I was being completely honest with myself. I'd always been an only child and my mom had so rarely been around but I'd watched the closeness of Ananda's family and Frankie's large, Puerto Rican family and had always wondered what it would be like to have the bond of a sibling. Frankie was always moaning and groaning about his brothers and sisters driving him nuts but he loved them to his very core and it was something I'd been jealous of since I'd met him on the playground in first grade and he'd said he liked my shoes and asked if my mom weaved my hair.

We pulled up in front of a one story house with it's blue paint peeling. In front of one half was a large, welcoming porch that sagged slightly in the middle where the front steps were and in front of the other half was a garden so neglected and overgrown that the weeds grew 3 feet high and it didn't look like there were any actual flowers in it. The front yard was just a large expansion of grass and off to the left was a garage, more of a barn really, since it was just as large as the house. Cars and trucks of all models could be seen outside and inside and I even saw an old mail delivery truck painted in green camouflage. Joseph turned off the truck and declared unnecessarily, "Here's home!."

The inside was a lot bigger than it looked from the outside. The door opened into a large living room where two brown and yellow couches that must have dated from the seventies created a cozy triangle with a big screen TV, which from the looks of it was the only thing in the house that wasn't at least 20 years old. The green carpet was worn under my feet and the whole place felt pleasantly lived-in. To the left of that was a dining room with a large picture window that looked over the "garden" but the table top was completely covered in dust and it obviously didn't get used. We walked into the kitchen from the dining room and so far it was my favorite room in the house. It was well lit with sunny, yellow walls that were slightly faded and the large cobalt blue refrigerator and stove were matching antiques that looked shiny and well taken care of. A small breakfast nook held a square wooden table and the nearby back door looked onto a deck and backyard stretching off towards the forest.

Joseph produced a coffee can from one of the cupboards and opened it up to show me the stash of green bills there. "This is where I put money for Embry to get groceries and other supplies. I think most of it goes toward pizza. You may use it for whatever you like." He attempted a smile that perhaps was supposed to be fatherly but his eyes seemed to be far away and he looked anxious to leave. We went through the kitchen and he showed me the bathroom and then the two smaller bedrooms. The room my stuff was occupying was light blue and hand-painted teddy bears bordered the ceiling. "This was Embry's room when he was little but he prefers the other bedroom now." The last room in the house was Joseph's master bedroom. It barely looked lived in and I soon found out why. "Well, that's it. There's school tomorrow but I don't think anybody expects you to go right away. About half a mile up the road is First Beach if you'd like to go explore or I can give you a ride back to town. I've got to get back to the bar. Left Jimmy in charge and you know, he can't tell the difference between a Tom Collins and a Shirley Temple" Having never met Jimmy, I didn't know but I'd take his word for it. "Sometimes if customers are there late I just sleep in one of the upstairs rooms so don't wait up for me and don't bother waiting for Embry for dinner. Who knows where he's run off to…" he gave me an apologetic smile and I returned it.

"Okay." He turned to go but I called out, "Joseph!" and he turned back around. "Thanks… you know, for letting me come here."

He gave me an awkward pat on the arm. "Of course, kiddo," but as he walked out the door I heard him say "But don't thank me yet," under his breath.

The door slammed shut and then I was alone. Again.


	4. Chapter 4

It was six in the morning and I was lying in bed debating on attending my first day of school. The first rays of light were just beginning to come over the mountain and my bedroom was bright enough that I could see the bears on the wall. Their little black eyes and toothsome smiles didn't seem so friendly today and I quickly made the decision to go to school if only as a reason to get out of the house. All through my shower my stomach rumbled obscenely and I remembered back to the night before when dinner had consisted of a bowl of popcorn while watching a four-hour marathon of Gone with Wind on the old movie channel. I tried to remember if I had seen any place that might serve coffee and a muffin when Joseph had driven me through downtown but it was all pretty much one grey, blurry building after another. I tore through two boxes of clothes before I came across my favorite pair of jeans and a long-sleeved blue Henley shirt from Abercrombie that matched my eyes. The finishing touch was an old pair of black Doc Martin boots and I prayed that my outfit would make me stand out a little less. My hair would end up looking the same whether I blow-dried it or not so I skipped that step and let it hang wet and loose down my back. A quick search of the coat closet turned up a puffy black utility jacket with a hood that would shield me from the mid-September downpour and I grabbed my backpack for a finishing touch.

I was use to walking long distances on Manhattan sidewalks so the short walk to town wasn't a problem. What I hadn't counted on was La Push's lack of sidewalks and I had to navigate carefully around the puddles until a sidewalk finally emerged in town. I was so glad I had chosen the boots today and I secretly mourned my little collection of designer shoes I'd probably never get to wear again. To my relief there was a diner a little set back from the main street behind the post office and I removed the hood of my jacket as I entered and instantly regretted it. My hair might as well have been a neon arrow pointing down at me the way the packed diner hushed and people actually turned in their chairs to look. I ignored them and tried to keep a steady stride up to the counter.

A beautiful girl a little older than me stood there holding a coffee pot. Her shiny, black hair was cut to her shoulders and her teeth were a blinding white when she smiled. "What can I get you?" she asked in a neutral voice.

"Just coffee with cream please." I was starving but now that I was here I wanted to get in and get out as soon as possible and asking about the muffin selection while everyone listened wasn't a part of the new plan.

Another deep voice arose from the stool next to me in what was supposed to be a whisper, "A little café au lait? How appropriate," he snickered. I looked over and there were three of the biggest guys I'd ever seen sitting there, looking at me and laughing. I could feel my face begin to burn and I quickly turned back around.

The counter girl wasted no time grabbing a rolled up newspaper and smacking him in the head with it like she was swatting the biggest fly in the world.

"Ow, Leah!" he complained shielding his face with his hands, though it couldn't have really hurt him, "What's your problem?"

"Play nice, Paul, or I'll kick you out and you can get your French toast somewhere else."

"But there isn't anywhere else."

"Then you better play nice, huh?" was her sharp reply. She turned back to me with a smile, "You must be Joseph Call's daughter. I'm Leah Clearwater." I heard one of the big guys push loudly away from his stool with a growl, stomp out of the diner and slam the door but she acted like nothing had happened.

"Anni," I managed to croak out as she handed me my cup.

I pushed some money across the counter and she pocketed it in a bartender's apron around her waist. "My brother, Seth, is in high school. He's a little younger than you, I think, but he's a real nice kid. I'll text message him and tell him to say hi."

"That would be nice, thank you," I answered with a self-conscious smile of my own.

"We're the only place in town that serves coffee so I'll see you tomorrow," and raising her voice she added, "And maybe these extremely rude people that are acting like they've never seen a white person before will be a little more interested in their breakfast instead of my conversations." It was obvious that she was half-teasing but the other diner patrons quickly turned their attention back to their plates. Apparently, you don't anger the bearer of coffee and bacon in La Push.

I couldn't help but laugh to myself as I left until I heard Paul say, "Damn Leah, what was all that about?"

"Oh you know, anything to piss off Embry. Besides all that shit's not her fault." Her reply drifted out through the door after me.

I stood on the steps of the diner; the few seconds of lightness I'd felt had completely dissipated. Had the huge guy that had left in a huff been Embry? It couldn't have been, all those guys had looked like they were in their twenties and Embry was suppose to only be a year older than myself but what other explanation made sense? I looked around quickly to see if he was still nearby but the whole street was quiet, not even a car going down the road.

I knew when I moved here that it was most likely that Embry would hate me. I was indirectly responsible for the death of his mother, after all, but the lonely single child inside me had still hoped there was a lonely single child in him too that I could connect with. I had a little less hope when I saw the aging alcoholic our father had become over the years. A dead mother and an alcoholic father that was never around would have made me beyond bitter too. Now the final string of a possible sibling bond had been cut when he'd stormed out of the door just because someone had dared to talk to me and I felt more defeated then I thought I would in this moment.

I made my way toward the school taking steadying breaths so I wouldn't cry. Once when I was eight a boy in my class had taken scissors and cut two inches off one of my pigtails. I'd never had a hair cut in my life and I was devastated. My teacher called my mother who picked me up from school to take me to the beauty salon. When she saw me sitting there on a bench in the hallway, sobbing, she had kneeled down beside me and taken my hand, "Shh, shhh, my little one, don't ever let them see you cry. It only makes them stronger." I let her soft words wrap around me like a blanket and I suddenly missed her fiercely. I made a new resolve that whatever was said to me in this town would be locked away in a secret compartment in my mind until I was completely alone. I wouldn't ever let them see me cry and if Sofia Sunstrom was somewhere looking down on me, I would make her proud.

The high school was small. Only about 10 classrooms and a cafeteria that doubled as a gymnasium. My grades from my school in Manhattan had translated over so that I was taking some advanced courses with the seniors. In Advanced Chem Embry's name was called right after mine and I tensed up but when there was no answering "here" I relaxed. Joseph was right when he'd said Embry only attended school when he felt like it. I wondered how the teachers let him get away with it. Maybe they had given up on him. That thought made me sad. Everybody stared at me openly but thankfully, nobody attempted conversation. In Honor's English I heard one boy whisper "Joseph's bastard" to another kid but I just straightened my spine and kept my eyes on the front of the room.

True to her word, Leah had texted her brother and when lunch time came around a tall, muscular boy who would have looked at least 19 had it not been for his sweet face that still held a little of his baby fat, bounded over to me and introduced himself as Seth Clearwater. I wondered, briefly, what they put in the water in La Push that made the boys look the way they did. He made non-stop conversation with me while I picked at the pepperoni on my pizza and asked me about a million questions about New York and I answered them all, just thankful he wasn't asking any personal questions. At one point I told him that he didn't have to sit with me if he was keeping his friends waiting and he replied that most of his friends no longer went to school and the ones that did, he no longer had much in common with. It obviously made him sad so I left it alone. "Besides," he'd added, "with your golden hair, you're like a shiny, new toy! I've only seen hair like this on one other person and she doesn't like my friends or me much. She would rip my head off if I did this…" and he took one of his paw-like hands and ruffled the hair on top of my head. I laughed and batted his hand away ineffectually. "Hey! I've got the afternoon off, come to the diner with me after school! We'll have Leah make us sundaes! Okay?" I nodded my head while wondering what 15-year-old boy had a job after school. Was that even legal? "Great! It's a date! Meet me in the courtyard after last period!"


	5. Chapter 5

It wasn't until I was in the courtyard waiting for Seth after school that I had a chance to reply to Frankie's twenty or so text messages.

FROM ANNI: HEY. SSL. SCHOOL IS LAME EVERYWHERE YOU GO APPARENTLY. LA PUSH IS SMALL. PRETTY THO.

FROM FRANKIE: AT LEAST THAT'S SOMETHING. WHAT R U DOING?

FROM ANNI: GOING TO GET ICE CREAM WITH A POSSIBLE FRIEND.

FROM FRANKIE: A FRIEND? SHOULD I BE JEALOUS?

FROM ANNI: U KNOW UR THE ONLY QUEEN OF MY HEART.

FROM FRANKIE: 3 I MISS U.

FROM ANNI: I MISS U 2. ALL THE LA PUSH BOYS ARE ON STEROIDS. U'D BE IN HEAVEN.

FROM FRANKIE: WHAT'S UR ADDRESS AGAIN? B ON THE 1ST PLANE.

FROM ANNI: LOL! TTYL. TELL UR MOM HI 4 ME.

FROM FRANKIE: K.

I was just closing my phone when Seth arrived, "Hey Goldilocks. Sorry, I'm late. I had to pick up some homework for some friends." He waved a large stack of papers in his hand. "Ready to go?"

The rain had stopped and the clouds were parted in some places. Seth lifted up his face as we hit a patch of light, "Ahhh, feel that sunshine while you can. This is going to be the last of it until at least next May."

I almost laughed until I realized he was serious and then I quickly followed suit, lifting my face to the sun and trying to soak up the gentle rays. But I didn't account for the uneven ground and promptly tripped over something. Before I could hit the ground Seth hauled me up by my left arm. "Wow, walk much? What's with you white girls being so clumsy?"

"What's with you Quileute boys being so buff?" I retorted.

He shrugged. "Genetics I guess."

"Oh, so your Dad is huge too?"

"My Dad is dead but when he was alive, I guess he was pretty big."

I instantly felt remorse, "I'm sorry."

He threw his arm around my shoulders and squeezed reassuringly as we walked up the diner steps and he opened the door for me, "Hey, it's okay. You didn't know."

Leah nodded in our direction when we walked in and we sat ourselves at the bar where Embry and his friends had been sitting that morning. When she was finished taking a customer's order she joined us and tossed Seth a can of coke. "Hot fudge sundae, Seth?" He nodded. "What'll it be Blondie?" she asked me.

"The same, I guess."

Leah took out three bowls and began to fill them. "One's for me," she explained. "My shift is over in 5 minutes and it's been an ice cream kind of day. So is that your real hair color or do you have to get it dyed all the time?" She had switched gears so fast that it took me a second to catch up.

Seth spit coke out all over the counter," Oh my gosh, LeLe! That's so rude, even for you. You want to ask her if anything else is fake while you're at it?"

"I'm just curious!" She defended herself, while handing Seth a bunch of napkins to wipe up his mess.

I ran my hand self-consciously through my hair and examined the tips. "It's real. My mom was from Sweden. I know it looks weird on me."

She shook her head. "It only looks weird to me because you're like a girl Embry but with blonde hair and blue eyes. I'm actually kind of jealous of it."

Leah's replacement arrived and she took a seat on the other side of me and started twirling her ice cream around her spoon. "Your Dad came in today."

"Is that unusual?" I asked.

"Well, it's not unheard of but Joseph hardly ever leaves the bar and he came in to talk to me and THAT is unusual." Leah dropped the spoon in her bowl and sat back in her chair. "He heard that I stuck up for you in front of Embry this morning and he asked if Seth and I would bring you to the bonfire tomorrow night since he can't go."

Seth sucked in a breath of air and I felt both siblings' unease. "Well, obviously, you don't have to take me. I may be stuck in La Push until I'm eighteen but it's not like I'm enjoying being somewhere I'm not wanted. Maybe I don't even want to go."

Leah smirked, "You want to go. How could you not? They may have a lot of things in Manhattan but I doubt they have real bonfire parties with real Native Americans. Admit it, you're curious." I shrugged, even though she was right. When Leah had mentioned a bonfire I had felt a tingle of anticipation go through me that I couldn't explain. Leah frowned at her ice cream like she was thinking hard about something and finally she continued, "And the thing is, I'm not so sure you're not suppose to be there."

"What are you saying, Leah?" Seth asked, leaning around me to look at her.

She sighed, "I don't know. It's going to sound dumb because I know how pissed Embry is going to get at me and everybody will think I'm just doing it to be a bitch and cause trouble but when you walked in here this morning and then again, when Joseph asked me to take you to the bonfire, I just got this feeling like it's right that you're here."

Seth pounded his fist on the table, making both of us jump, "Yeah! Did you know our Dads were like second cousins or something?" I shook my head. "That means you're like family to us too, not just Embry. It may not be in the best circumstances but you're the daughter of a Quileute elder so you have every right to be here and anybody who has a problem with it can just get over it."

"Is that so?" A masculine voice came from directly behind us and startled, we all swung around in our bar chairs. This was Embry. I knew it as soon as I saw him. There was my forehead. There was my nose though it looked much better on him. There was the shape of my eyes that made him look slightly sad too. His eyes widened when he saw my face like he was just as stunned by the similarities but he recovered quicker than me. "Nice jacket. Got anything else that belongs to me besides my friends?"

"Em…" Seth started.

And at the same time Leah said, "We're not friends."

There were so many things I wanted to say but I didn't know where to start so I kept it to, "I'm sorry. You can have your jacket back."

"Keep it, it doesn't fit me anyway." He turned to Leah, "I heard what you said about feeling like she belongs here. I hate to admit it but I do too," and his next words were just for me, "But I don't have to like it and I don't have to like you. So go to the bonfire. Leah's right, you should be there but don't expect anything from me and just because I may come home once in a while, doesn't mean I want you following me around like a lost puppy dog, got it?" He didn't even wait for my reply, just turned around and stomped out the door. The grey clouds had returned and the rain was coming down in sheets again but he hadn't bothered wearing anything heavier than a t-shirt.

"Whoah…" Seth groaned. "I thought he was going to phase right in the restaurant."

"Phase?" I asked, still distracted with watching Embry who was now running towards the woods by the school.

"You know, phase… freak out," Leah quickly answered. "Just our wacky Quileute slang." Both of them had turned back around and were suddenly very interested in their melted ice cream.

"Seth and I will pick you up around 8 tomorrow night, k?"

"Alright," I said. I tried to slide some money under my bowl but Leah pushed my hand away. "It's on the house. Any girl who can listen to the things Embry just said to you and not burst into tears deserves a free hot fudge sundae."


	6. Chapter 6

School the next day was uneventful except for the near constant buzz over that night's bonfire. Even Seth was nowhere in sight and I ate lunch alone. There was less staring at me today then yesterday and thankfully, even their whispers were quieter.

The walk home, however, got a little more interesting. The whole way I kept hearing an odd rustling noise in the forest on my left but when I turned to look, the brush would be still again. Finally I turned fast enough to see the tail of a large, tan dog disappear behind a tree. Figuring it was hungry, I took out the second half of my sandwich I hadn't eaten and laid it on a rock near where I had seen the dog's tail. Frankie's family had had a dog and it had eaten anything it could get its paws on, including most of Frankie's socks, so I figured the sandwich might get eaten. I didn't wait around to see but I also didn't hear the dog for the rest of the walk.

I figured it was about time the house had a woman's touch and I had nothing better to do so I located the cleaning supplies under the bathroom sink and attacked all the communal rooms with a vengeance. I especially paid close attention to the dining room table and chairs. Underneath all the dust, they were beautiful pieces of furniture. Nothing ornate, just clean lines made out of beautiful walnut wood. Even though I scrubbed every inch of it, I couldn't find a single ding or scratch on any of its now shiny surface. I was at the very bottom of the last leg when I found some letters carved into the wood there. I scrubbed vigorously with a q-tip until I could make them out: Joseph Call. I leaned back against one of the sturdy chairs, suddenly feeling exhausted. This table was meant to have a family sitting around it every night, talking and laughing with each other but instead it just sat here collecting layer upon layer of dust.

There was a loud knock on the door and I practically jumped out of my skin. I hadn't realized that it had gotten dark outside and that that must be Leah and Seth at the door.

Leah snorted with laughter when she took in the apron with various cleaning supplies and the bandana that wrapped up my hair. "Okay, Donna Reed, I hope you're not wearing that to the bonfire tonight. Though sending the message that you can whip up a pot roast and an apple pie in no time flat would probably get the attention of most of the guys." I quickly untied the apron and yanked the bandana out of my hair, letting it fall loosely down my back. "Much better."

I took in their short-sleeved shirts and began to question the three layers I had been planning on wearing. "I know it's a bonfire so it's outside right? Is it so hot that I don't need a coat?"

Seth laughed, "No, you definitely need a coat. Leah and I are just really warm-blooded. Don't worry about us."

When I was finally bundled up to their satisfaction we piled in to Leah's green Toyota Corolla. As he was shutting my door Seth said, "By the way, thanks for lunch."

"What? You weren't at lunch today."

Leah rolled her eyes, "Don't listen to my idiot brother. He hit his head really hard this morning and he has no idea what he's talking about." She gave him an annoyed look as he buckled his seat belt.

The bonfire was located in a large clearing close to the beach and I could hear the ocean as it crashed nearby and smell the salt air mixed in with the smoke from the fire. We had to park along a dark road with a long line of other cars and walk a short ways through the woods with the amber glow of the fire as our beacon. As we got closer, the voices of many people drowned out the sound of the waves and I began to feel the beginnings of a nervous knot in my stomach. I suddenly felt like an intruder and my steps faltered, "Leah, I don't think-"

"Don't think and don't worry. I promise not to leave your side. Even if Brad Pitt, himself, begs me to and damn, that man is hot." She grabbed a fistful of my puffy jacket and started tugging me along behind her before I could protest further.

We made our way into the clearing and to my relief, there were so many people and everybody was so busy chatting that our entrance wasn't even noticed. Almost immediately Seth took off, claiming that someone named Sam wanted to talk with him. Leah gestured to all the people, "There's not usually so many of us but this is the last bonfire of the season and everybody is invited."

"What's going to happen?" I asked, pulling my hood tighter over my head and trying to remain inconspicuous as we made our way through the throng.

"It's actually not that interesting. Pack bonfires are a lot more fun but they usually have beer so that helps," Before I could ask who the pack was, she continued on, "Mostly this is just a whole lot of story-telling and then our chief, Billy, will ask the spirits to bring us a calm winter and keep our tribe safe. Don't worry, we're not going to make you rain dance or anything." She laughed and then we both had to make a quick step back to avoid being barreled into by two little boys chasing each other with sticks.

"I doubt more rain is ever a request you have to make," I joked as I marveled at the fact that it seemed to have stopped raining just for this event. Maybe the spirits did have their hands in this event.

"True," Leah agreed.

The crowd had begun to quiet and sit down and I noticed a man standing near the fire on our left with his arms raised in the air as he waited for silence. We took our own seats on the bench behind us.

Leah hadn't been lying when she said that it would be a lot of talking. The combination of the deep, soothing voices and the heat from the fire was making me drowsy and my eyelids were just beginning to drop when Seth plopped his massive frame onto the open seat next to me, causing the bench to shake and I jerked awake again. He seemed to be full of energy and was smiling broadly. Leah and I both gave him questioning looks but he only mouthed, "After" to us. The waves of excitement rolling off of him were enough to keep me awake for the rest of the stories.

Finally, a man in a wheelchair made his way to the front and everybody sat a little straighter. As he began to call out to the spirits and ask for their blessings, I realized with surprise that he was the chief. I felt ashamed that I had so quickly equated the wheelchair with weakness. His voice was strong, sure and proud and there was nothing weak about him. He ended the ceremony and people slowly began to collect their kids and belongings.

"Ok Seth, spill!" Leah ordered.

No longer able to contain himself, he blurted out, "Jacob's back!"

Leah only looked mildly surprised, "About time. That stupid girl certainly wasn't enough reason to run away like he did."

"Who's Jacob?" I asked.

"Jacob Black," Leah answered. "The chief's son and Embry's best friend. He's arrogant and annoying and Seth worships the ground he walks on."

Seth rolled his eyes. "He came up to Sam and I when we were talking in the woods and asked if Billy was okay. He said he got this feeling like he needed to come home right away."

"Well, where is he now so I can avoid him at all costs?" Leah asked, letting her eyes scan the crowd of people nearby.

"He's standing on the other side of the fire with Sam."

The men that were working on putting out the fire had gotten it low enough that we could see the other side and the upper bodies of two men without shirts on. My eyes were immediately drawn to the one on the right. I took in his perfectly sculpted abdomen, the way his large arms were crossed in front of his chest making the muscles flex, the broad shoulders, strong chin, full lips, shaggy black hair that hung to his ears and finally his eyes that were looking directly back at me. At first, I thought the warm feeling that washed over me was just embarrassment for getting caught staring at him but I quickly realized it was something more. It started as a tingle deep in my chest and spread like wildfire through my veins until the very tips of my fingers and toes were singing with it and it felt like every hair on my body was alive with the electricity. Our eyes were locked on each other and his had widened in surprise, disbelief, tenderness and then… was that anger?"

Leah's voice jarred me out of my trance, "No fucking way! Seth, did you see that?

"I think so. I've never seen it happen first hand before. Wild."

I managed to tear my eyes away from the shirtless adonis across from me, "What are you talking about?"

Leah had begun to laugh uncontrollably and Seth was looking at her admonishingly, "Good grief, Leah. Pull yourself together. It's not funny."

"Yes it is!" She threw her arms around me as I just stood there stunned and confused, "I knew there was a reason you were here and you've just made my day… no, my year!" A stray tear of laughter fell down her cheek and she wiped it away, "Oh man, Embry is going to murder him!"

My eyes flew back to where Jacob Black had been standing a moment before but he was gone. A frantic scan of the clearing didn't turn him up either and I suddenly felt cold and embarrassed. Of course he'd run away. I could only imagine what I had looked like staring at him like I was some crazy groupie who wanted to tear the rest of his clothes off. What was even more embarrassing was that the other shirtless guy he'd been standing with was now crouched down next to the chief, talking quietly to him and they were both looking directly at me. Before I could even groan in despair the tall guy was melting into the woods and Billy Black was wheeling his way towards me. I tried to turn and duck away but both Seth and Leah grabbed a hold of one of my arms and I was stuck between them as Leah began to hum "Hail to the Chief" under her breath.

"Annika Sunstrom? I'm Chief Black but please, call me Billy." He held out his hand to me and I reached out to shake it trying not to appear as nervous as I felt.

"It's nice to meet you Chi- Billy. Everyone calls me Anni," I was immensely relieved when my voice came out strong. "I really enjoyed the bonfire, thank you for allowing me to be here."

"Of course! Of course! Your father and I are good friends and I should have come over to make you welcome sooner. I don't get around that easily these days, though," he said as his hands ran across the arms of the wheelchair. His face turned serious, "I'd like to apologize for anyone in my tribe that has been less than friendly."

I felt flustered, "Oh no, nobody has been anything but kind to me," but we both knew it was a lie and I grasped onto a kernel of truth, "Seth and Leah have been especially friendly to me."

Billy nodded with satisfaction, "Sue Clearwater has many reasons to be proud of her children but I will make sure she knows that one."

Seth flushed with pride and even Leah stood a little straighter. "Thank you, Billy," she said.

"Well, you kids get back home safely. Anni, it was a pleasure to meet you. You are a welcome addition to this tribe and I look forward to seeing you around the reservation." Billy turned his wheelchair faster than I thought possible and rejoined a group of older man talking around the now low fire.

Seth let out a low whistle, "That sure was more interesting than I thought it would be."

I couldn't have agreed more.


	7. Chapter 7

I went home to a dark, empty house. I'd half expected Embry to be here to mock me for making a fool of myself in front of his best friend but there was no Embry and there was no Joseph. I tried to sleep but I kept seeing Jacob Black's face when I closed my eyes and just ended up tossing and turning until finally at 5 am I gave up, completely frustrated with myself. What was wrong with me? I'd had crushes on guys before. They'd never gotten any farther than that but I'd done the silly pre-teen girly things like write my first name with their last name all over the cover of my notebook and prank their houses during Truth-Or-Dare at sleepovers. This was different though. I'd seen this boy, well, he was more of a man, really for no more than ten seconds across a clearing and I could not stop thinking about him. It just wasn't right.

I kicked the tangled covers off myself viciously and threw on the nearest clothes in sight: yoga pants, long sleeved thermal shirt, denim jacket and my Uggs. I used the mirror to pull my hair up into a ponytail and sigh over the dark bruises under my eyes. I looked like a total mess but at 5 in the morning and running on zero sleep, it wasn't about to get any better.

Outside, the sky was turning a light shade of Indigo and the ground was covered in a layer of three-foot fog so thick, I could barely see where I was going. Luckily, I made it to the diner without breaking an ankle and was glad to see that they still opened early, even on Saturdays.

Leah's replacement from the other day grinned happily when I walked in. Her name tag read STELLA. "Thank God, a customer! I was so bored, I was actually thinking about dusting or something."

Her enthusiasm was way too over-the-top for this early in the morning but I managed to force out a laugh since that was the appropriate response and sat down at the bar. I ordered a cup of coffee and a slice of cherry pie.

"Cherry pie? For breakfast?" She asked.

I just shrugged, "Is it really breakfast if you haven't actually gone to bed?"

"Oh!" She looked more interested in me all of a sudden. "Did you go to that bonfire after-party at Sam and Emily's place? I hear Jacob Black and your brother got into a huge fight. We're talking fists and everything."

I choked on my coffee but recovered quickly, "No, I didn't go. Where did you hear that?"

She leaned across the bar conspiratorially and hushed her voice like there was actually somebody else in the place besides us and the cook who was so far in the back of the kitchen that he wouldn't have heard us anyway, "Well, I didn't get invited but this guy I've been kind of interested in went and he texted me and told me that Emily actually kicked them out of her house so they wouldn't break things and they were throwing each other against trees and everything. Crazy, right?"

"Yeah, that's pretty crazy." What else was crazy was the fact that I had just decided to use Stella's love of gossip to get more information about this Jacob Black. "So, I heard Jacob just got back last night. I wonder where he was,"

I had asked my question casually like it was just something to talk about but her eyes lit up at the prospect of imparting more knowledge, "I don't know where he went to exactly but he took off right after Chief Swan's daughter got engaged to that rich Cullen kid. You know he use to bring her around here all the time to First Beach and even bonfires. I never really got why she had so many guys at her heels being all scrawny and pasty the way she is. Especially Jake. He's gorgeous." She picked up my empty pie dish and set it in a nearby sink before returning to her previous position of elbows on the bar. "The rumor was he took his heart-broken self off to Mexico but maybe he's come to his senses. I wonder if he's staying this time…" She trailed off and her body shot up straight, "Well, speak of the devil and it looks like he's brought the whole party with him, including your cute brother. They must have patched things up. How's my hair?" She was trying to see herself in the metal of the counter and frantically trying to smooth her hair down.

The door swung open and I felt my body flush with heat despite the cold air flowing in. I knew everybody would notice me immediately seeing as how I was the only other customer there. I suddenly wished I hadn't decided it was okay to get dressed in the dark and hunched farther over my coffee cup like I was trying to get as small as possible.

I could hear the whole group stomp over to occupy the booths on the far side of the diner. A woman's voice was saying, "I still don't see why you all just didn't let me cook instead of coming all the way out here."

It was followed by a man's voice I didn't recognize, "Emily, we couldn't make you cook in that kitchen after what Jake and Embry did to it," his voice became even more stern, "And you too WILL be cleaning that up today, by the way."

"Yeah, yeah, we got it Alpha," Embry said.

When I didn't hear Jake reply and the conversation continued on without him, I chanced a small glance to the side. Once again my eyes met Jacob Black's as he was staring at me intently. No, make that glaring at me intently. I quickly put my attention back on my cold coffee. What was his problem? Was it just the fact that he was Embry's best friend and therefore, he hated me on principal or was it something more?

I could hear Stella's flirtatious giggle coming from their direction and decided that there wasn't much chance of getting a warm coffee refill so I counted some bills out onto the counter along with a generous tip for the information she so willingly gave. I had decided that I may need her services again at some point so I better keep on her good side. I spun the bar stool around, once more catching Jacob's eyes and I couldn't believe he was STILL glaring at me. What the hell? Gathering up some courage I managed to force my eyes into slits to glare back at him and was rewarded when his eyes widened in surprise and then a small half smile graced his perfect lips. I could feel my own lips wanting to smile back but I pushed the urge down and propelled myself quickly out the door.

The rest of the weekend went fairly smoothly after that. I managed to unpack all my boxes. I had gone through my clothes before I left, donating a large amount of them to my girlfriends but I was still surprised when the rest of them along with my larger than average shoe collection fit into the tiny closet. All my art supplies got shoved under the bed and I lined the top of the roll-top desk and windowsill with framed pictures. Mostly of me and my mom in various New York locations but there was also pictures of me with Frankie and one of Ananda and I in the kitchen when she was teaching me to make Naan. Both of our faces are covered in flour but we're laughing over something and I briefly remembered how it felt to be happy and safe and most of all, included. I also took out the picture of my mom and Joseph but deciding that it may cause problems, I put it back in its' hiding place.

Surprisingly, Joseph came home for dinner on Sunday night and I dug around in the cupboards trying to find something to make a meal out of. Thankfully, I found all the ingredients for spaghetti with homemade sauce and even managed garlic bread and a salad. We ate together at the little table in the kitchen and every few bites he would grunt appreciatively which I found amusing yet endearing. He finished off two plates before taking his dishes to the sink. "I'll clean them," I said quickly.

He gave me his awkward Joseph smile and patted the top of my head like I was still five years old, "Real good food, Anni. How about I start making time on Sundays to come have dinner with you? A little family bonding? What do you say?" I couldn't help noticing Embry wasn't included in that.

"I'd like that," I assured him.

He went back to the bar after that and I settled down to finish my homework before going to bed. Once again, I laid there awake for most of the night wondering why I'd become such an insomniac and replaying Jacob's half-smile in my mind. At 2 am I got fed up and started walking aimlessly around the house with the light of the full moon streaming through the windows to guide my way. My feet found their way to the kitchen and I stood at the sink staring out the window that looked into the backyard. The kitchen felt warmer than the rest of the house and I relaxed against the edge of the counter and stared into the blackness of the trees.

My eyelids were starting to feel heavy and I was considering going back to bed when there was movement in the branches and a huge wolf stepped out of the darkness. The moonlight fell on its fur and I was shocked to see it sit down on its haunches and look toward the house. I wondered if it could see me and then felt ridiculous for thinking so and pushed the thought aside. I should have been alarmed or startled at the very least but the beautiful wolf just sat there and watched the house like it was protecting it and I only felt calm. I took advantage of it's stillness to memorize the pattern of white markings on it's mostly russet fur and the way that it's black eyes glinted in the moonlight.

Eventually, I moved to sit at the kitchen table to watch it out the large windows in the nook but it never moved a muscle and the next morning I woke up still in that chair with my forehead laying on my arms while they rested on the table top but for the life of me, I couldn't remember ever laying my head down in the first place.

* * *

**A/N: If you've read all 7 chapters and you like it, won't you take a moment to drop me a review? A little encouragement goes a long way and I'd appreciate it a lot! **

**Thank you to the people who've favorited this story and put me on their alert lists. That's awesome.**


	8. Chapter 8

Since I had slept at the kitchen table, I didn't hear my alarm go off and I ended up sleeping through both first and second period. The first thing I did was look out the window for the wolf. It had sat there so still for so long last night that I half expected it to still be there but the yard was empty and I felt confusingly disappointed. I made it to the school in the middle of my third period Government class and managed to slip into a seat in the back so quietly that only the teacher noticed but she gave me a disapproving look and I lowered my eyes to the desk in mock repentance.

Seth wasn't around at lunch again and I picked an empty table in the corner. I wasn't alone for long, however, because soon enough a tray was being set across from me and I looked up to see a girl my age slide onto the bench. Upon first glance she was plain, almost unmemorable but her eyes held a soft sweetness and when she smiled at me her entire face lit up. Her beauty wasn't that obvious native beauty of Leah's but she had her own kind of almost exotic beauty that grew more apparent the longer you looked at her. "Hi, I'm Kim."

Her smile was contagious and in no time I was returning it. "I'm Anni."

"I know. Everybody knows. I'm sorry about that," and she did look genuinely sorry for me. "I know Seth isn't here today and I thought you'd like some company."

"Yeah, thanks! So you know Seth?" I asked, while pushing my salad around with my fork.

"Well, everybody knows everybody here. Small town and all," she replied. I hit my forehead in a 'duh' gesture and she laughed. It was such a warm, friendly sound that I couldn't help feeling a special connection to the girl. "But he is a friend of my boyfriend. Actually, I think they're out together today."

My interest was immediately piqued, "So, where do Seth and all his friends go when they're suppose to be here at school with us?"

Her eyes wandered off to the side and I knew whatever she said next was going to be a lie. "Oh, I don't know. I guess they just go work on cars and stuff." Yep, a lie but I let it go. For some reason I couldn't explain, I really wanted Kim to like me and offending her by questioning what she said wasn't the best way to go about it. "I saw you at the bonfire," she said, changing the subject. "What did you think?"

"It was really cool. I've never been to anything like that before."

"Oh yeah? Is that why you could barely keep your eyes open?" I knew she was teasing me but I could still feel a blush cover my face. "Trust me, I have a hard time staying awake through those things too. To be honest, the first time Jared ever took me to a pack bonfire, I actually did fall asleep. I was so embarrassed when I woke up because I didn't know if I had snored or drooled on him or something." We laughed together but in the back of my head I was thinking about how she had used the word 'pack'. That word seemed to be popping up a lot and I didn't know what to make of it. "So you see," Kim continued, "You have no reason to be embarrassed since you actually stayed awake."

We chatted a little longer. She told me about Jared and I told her about Frankie. She was so open and easy to talk to and I could almost feel another piece of the La Push puzzle that was now my life slide into place.

The bell rang signaling the end of lunch and we gathered our things. "What do you have next?" I asked her.

She smiled affectionately at me, "Computers. With you." Ugh! Open mouth, insert foot again! "I didn't expect you to know that. I see the way your head is always down in class like you're hoping nobody will notice you."

I shrugged, "I don't really want anyone to notice me. I just want to get through high school in this town without causing any problems."

"Fat chance of that. It wouldn't be high school without problems. Besides," she said as we walked down the hall and she linked her arm through mine like we were two little girls who were the best of friends, "It's time you start holding that pretty head up high and being proud. You're one of us now."

* * *

When I got home I threw my book bag behind the couch and headed to the kitchen for a drink of water, not bothering to remove my shoes or jacket. As I stood there, holding my glass in front of the sink and staring into the backyard, my mind wandered again to the wolf I'd seen out there last night. I couldn't forget the way it had sat there, so still as it watched our house like it was lost in thought. I made a quick decision that I needed to capture the way it had looked before it started to blur in my mind and I hurried to the bedroom to gather a sketchpad and a box of charcoal pencils.

I made my way through the yard and into the woods, trying to tell myself that this wasn't an attempt at finding the wolf, just a place to clear my head so I could draw. I watched the ground as I walked, careful not to trip over the lush ground cover. The forest here was unlike anything I'd ever seen. The floor was so covered in creeping vines and leaves that you couldn't even see the dirt and the bark of the trees was all but invisible beneath the layers of lichen and moss. Nature lovers from all over the world came to see the wonder of the outdoors here but to me it was too green, too dense and it made me feel slightly claustrophobic.

I continued to dodge the low hanging moss and wayward branches before I finally stumbled out into a small clearing of ankle-high grass, just wide enough to let the struggling, Washington sun filter through the trees. Nearby birds and frogs created a constant buzz of white noise. Directly across from me on a low but still thick branch was a small, wooden platform with what must have been it's old railings hanging haphazardly around it. I couldn't imagine Embry or his friends ever being small enough to have fit in that little tree house but I'm sure that's who had built it. They had probably been pretty proud of it too. Now, it just looked abandoned and pathetic and I wondered if he even remembered it was here.

I continued to scan the area and was pleasantly surprised to find a large rock only a few feet to my right that would be perfect to sit against. I pulled my knees up in front of me to use as a desk and tried to make the image from my mind appear on the paper.

I had no idea how much time had passed but the ground around me was littered with my crumpled attempts. I knew I was a good artist but no matter how hard I tried I couldn't capture the intelligent gleam of the wolf's eyes or they way the moonlight shown on its soft, russet fur. Frustrated I threw my second charcoal pencil on the ground and that's when I noticed the silence. It was absolute. Slowly, I raised my eyes and froze when I met the eyes of a man at the opposite end of the clearing, not even 50 yards away. How long had he been standing there watching me and how could I have not heard him walk up? I had made all sorts of twig-snapping, leaf-crunching noise on my trek through the forest. Surely, he would have been just as loud. I looked down to his feet and they were bare, his jeans were torn and even in this chilly autumn air he wore only a black t-shirt. His skin was extremely pale and the eyes so intently watching me looked almost black in comparison. We were both still for what felt like an eternity and just as I was getting anxious enough to say hello, he smiled. Not a friendly, nice-to-meet-you kind of smile but a sinister, knowing one that said he had me right where he wanted me. An electric spark danced up my spine and I felt all the muscles in my body tense in response. I knew that the man in front of me was extremely dangerous and that this wasn't a situation I was likely to walk away from. Should I run? I had a feeling I wouldn't get far. Should I look for something to hit him with? All I had nearby was pencils and paper. I imagined myself trying to fend of my attacker with vicious paper cuts and felt hysterical laughter bubble up in my throat but I pushed it down with a nervous swallow.

Blood rushed to my head and I could hear my heart beating loudly in my ears.

**ba bum ba bum ba bum**

But my heart beat seemed to be getting louder. How was that possible?

**Ba Bum Ba Bum Ba Bum**

It was impossibly loud now and I watched as the smile dropped off the face of the man and he moved his gaze to the forest behind me. I no longer thought the noise was the pounding of my own petrified heart.

**BA BUM BA BUM BA BUM**

The ground beneath me began to shake with the rhythm like mini earthquakes and I tried to twist around and look behind the rock to see what was approaching but before I was even halfway my vision was completely obscured by red and white fur flying past me so close it was all I could see. The warm gust of air from the large creature's passing swirled my blonde hair around in front of my face and I took a surprised gasp and simultaneously breathed in the scent of pine needles and something spicy yet sweet.

I turned back around as quickly as I could but still only managed to see the tail of the wolf as it vanished back into the trees. The pale man was nowhere in sight and the sound of the wolf's retreat was already fading into the forest.

Deep in my bones I knew I had dodged a proverbial bullet but to my own surprise my first impulse was to follow the wolf and I was onto my knees before I could realize how ridiculous that was. I would only succeed in getting completely lost and what was I going to do when I found it? Cry out all my fear into it's fur? Not before it made a meal out of me, surely.

The silent forest began to press inward on me and I needed to get out of it. Now. Then I was up and running, crashing headlong through the forest and not caring that twigs were scratching my face as I ran by them as fast as I could. I reached the yard faster than I ever dreamed and practically flew through the doorway, slamming it shut behind me. I was fumbling with the lock but my shaking knees were already giving out on me. Before I could hit the floor I felt a pair of strong arms pick me up and I immediately tried to fight the person off by thrashing my arms and legs around wildly but ineffectively.

"Chill out! It's just me!" the male voice said and a split-second later I was dumped unceremoniously onto the couch. Embry took a seat on the ottoman across from me.

"What in the world is your problem? I thought you were going to run straight through the doorway road-runner style."

Struggling to catch my breath, I studied his face for any real concern but only came up with surprise, annoyance and mild curiosity.

"I saw…" Saw what exactly? A man who gave me a mean look and was chased off by a wolf larger than a bear? I'm sure that would win me a first class trip to the looney bin and Embry would be happy to see me go. "I saw a bear. Or I thought I saw a bear. Or maybe it was just a tree…" I finished lamely.

Embry narrowed his eyes, "Did you see a bear or did you see a tree?"

"A bear-shaped tree?" I offered. Yeah, Anni, that's a whole lot more sane than the large wolf story, I couldn't help but berate myself sarcastically.

"Sadly, I'm not surprised that a girl who grew up in New York City can't tell the difference between a tree and a bear." I didn't know whether he was serious or teasing so I just gave a noncommittal shrug. Embry rolled his eyes, "You might want to go take care of those scratches all over your face," he said before he returned to the kitchen and his reheated spaghetti. As I was walking out of the room he called to me again, "Maybe you should take our pruning shears the next time you go off in to the woods by yourself. Wouldn't want you to end up on 'When Trees Attack,' would we?" His laughter followed me down the hall.

I was standing in front of the mirror examining and cleaning my numerous cuts with a cotton swab when I remembered my expensive art supplies now lying abandoned on the floor of the forest. Crap.

Embry's frame darkened the bathroom doorway. He was holding his plate of spaghetti and through a mouthful he asked, "Did you make this?"

"Yeah. Joseph and I had it for dinner last night." Who else would have made it? Did they usually have strangers stocking their fridge with leftovers?

"It's really good. Almost as good as Sarah Black's spaghetti." Embry twirled his fork through the pasta for another bite.

I stopped dabbing the alcohol on my face. "Who's Sarah Black?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

He swallowed another large bite, "She was Jacob Black's mother and she was basically a mom to me too when I was little."

My heart sank, afraid of the answer to my next question, "Was?"

"Yeah, she died a few years ago. Cancer."

I'd never known anyone who'd died until my mother passed and now all these people surrounded me who had lost loved ones and I was starting to realize how common it actually was. How depressing. My heart hurt for myself, Jacob, Embry, Leah and Seth who had all lost parents so young.

I looked back up at Embry but he was looking at me like he'd just remembered who I was and that he couldn't believe he was having what could pass for a conversation with me. He turned to walk down the hall.

"Embry, wait," I said and he paused but didn't turn back around. I guess that was as good as I was going to get. "Joseph said he was going to start coming home on Sundays for dinner. You could…. Um, you could join us… if you wanted to."

He grunted and continued walking. Well, at least that was better a 'no.'


	9. Chapter 9

Every time I went to the diner in the morning for coffee, I would see Jacob tearing out the door as I walked down the street. The timing was so perfect, I could only figure that he saw me coming and couldn't even stand to be in the same building as me, though I couldn't figure out why. Every time, without fail, my heart would jump at the sight of him and then drop again as he jogged away without even a glance in my direction. Everybody around the tables in their corner, who I'd come to figure out was The Pack, would sneak looks at me. Sometimes Seth was with them and sometimes Kim was there sitting with her boyfriend, Jared. On rare occasions Leah would sit with them when she wasn't working. Embry was almost always there and so was the shirtless man I'd seen at the bonfire, Sam, as well as his fiancé, Emily. Kim, Seth and I always sat together at lunch but one morning she invited me to sit with them in the corner booth and I declined. It didn't feel right to invade Jacob and Embry's space any more than I already did. If there were even another place in town to get a hot cup of coffee, I would go there instead but there wasn't so we all did the same tense ballet every morning.

On Saturday, I called Frankie and we talked for hours. I even told him about the mysterious Jacob Black and let him tease me mercilessly about him.

On Sunday, I went to the store and got the ingredients for dinner. I was making a recipe Ananda had taught me called Chicken Tikka Masala with saffron rice and the Naan I had a picture of us making. I didn't know how much the Call men liked ethnic food but I'd never met a person who didn't adore Ananda's cooking. Frankie had always said if he was straight and Ananda wasn't married, he would be her slave for life as long as she cooked for him every day. She always said she would settle for him doing the dishes.

I wasn't sure if Embry would show up or not but I was holding out hope. I clipped my iPod to my jeans pocket and put the ear buds in so I could have some music while I cooked. The kitchen was smelling wonderful and I was dancing past the window when I saw my wolf in the same place he'd been last time. This time I had the lights on and I knew it saw me. I'd already come to the conclusion that this was no regular wolf. I wanted to thank it for chasing off the man in the forest but how was I supposed to go about doing that? I felt like I was being pulled towards it and I turned around to walk toward the kitchen door and I actually would have gone right outside if I hadn't run straight into Embry like he was a brick wall. He grabbed my shoulders to keep me from bouncing off of him and falling on my ass. "You're here!" I exclaimed.

"Yeah, you invited me. Were you going somewhere?" he asked, frowning as he looked out the window behind me.

I tore the ear buds out of my ears and turned to look out the window but the wolf was gone. "Just to set the table," I sighed with disappointment.

He looked like he didn't believe me but he let it go. "I'll do it."

I was practically in shock. He was here AND he was volunteering to set the table. I didn't say anything, afraid that I would ruin the niceness of the moment and turned my attention back to dinner. Embry began laying out plates at the small kitchen table. "Oh, I thought we'd use the big table. There's three of us so I thought we'd be too cramped at that little table."

Embry paused, "I've never eaten in the dining room in my life."

"Well, why not?" I was probably pushing my luck with this question.

"I don't know. I guess since it's such a big table it would make me feel pathetic to sit there all by myself." Embry snapped his mouth shut like he couldn't believe he'd actually said that out loud.

"Well, you wouldn't be sitting there by yourself tonight," I offered.

He didn't say anything, just took the plates into the dining room.

I was putting the food in large serving bowls when Joseph arrived through the back door. "Smells good," he said in greeting. His eyes weren't nearly as blood-shot as the other times I'd seen him. Embry walked back in from the dining room and Joseph did a double take. There was an awkward pause where we all stood in the kitchen looking back and forth between each other before Joseph found his voice again, "It's nice to see you home, son," and the tension dispersed.

Joseph looked a little surprised to be eating in the dining room but he didn't say anything about it. They both looked apprehensively at the food at first but after they'd each taken a bite, it began to disappear quickly. They tore into the Naan and stuffed rice and chicken in their mouths. Embry even bothered to ask what we were eating and I told him about my Indian neighbor who made all the tenants in our apartment building salivate with the scent of her cooking floating through the vents.

There wasn't much other talk at the table but it didn't feel awkward. In fact, I felt quite comfortable in the warm well-lit dining room despite the fact that my dinner company was my father I hadn't spent more than two hours with and my brother who could barely stand to be around me.

They both disappeared pretty much as soon as the food was gone and I stood at the sink cleaning dishes and congratulating myself on the success of my first dinner with my brand new family. To most people's standards, it wouldn't have been much and yes, they had both taken off like bats out of hell as soon as possible but Joseph hadn't been drunk and Embry hadn't been yelling at me and that felt like a win.

School flew by the next day and I was actually starting to enjoy classes the way I had in New York. Hardly anybody stared at me anymore and if they did, Seth or even sweet-natured Kim would give them a death glare and they would quickly look away.

There was a break in the rain as I was walking home and I was struck with a sudden inspiration to check out First Beach. I passed my house and continued down the street and after awhile I began to hear the ocean just as I did when I had walked to the bonfire with Seth and Leah. I wasn't ready for the scene in front of me when I finally reached it though. The beach stretched on for a mile in either direction where both sides were met by tall, grey cliffs studded with fir trees. The water was a soft grey but it pounded against the sand with a powerful fury and off into the distance large rocks would stick up out of it at random. Fallen logs and rocks littered the beach and there was always something begging to be looked at a little closer like a crab scuttling into a tide pool or the way barnacles attached themselves to just about everything. I headed to one of the sides and began making my way up toward one of the cliffs. There was a natural path carved into the side and I followed it up until I was standing in trees near the top again. I was just starting to walk into them when I heard two loud male voices. As I crept closer I could make out that it was Jacob and Embry and they were arguing loudly but I wasn't able to see them so I kept walking and eventually their voices became clearer.

"So what, Embry? You have dinner together and you're suddenly playing big brother now? I've been your best friend for our entire lives and you're taking the side of this girl you don't even know!"

"Don't put this on me, Jake! You're the one that screwed everything up! She was supposed to be here for two years. Two years! Everybody would have ignored her and when she turned 18 she would leave. Go back to where she came from. That's not going to happen now thanks to you! Now she's going to stay in La Push forever whether either of us likes it or not. Destiny remember?"

I could see them now. I was standing at the top of a ravine and they were standing below me in the middle of it, both shirtless and barefoot.

"It's not destiny! It's fucked up and I can change it! I WILL change it. I don't want her here just as much as you don't, maybe more. Definitely more by the way you spent so much time with her this weekend."

"Me? What about you Mr. Creepy-Stalker-In-The-Woods? Yeah, I saw you! Besides, it was just dinner and Sam made me do it. He ordered me to go have dinner and be nice. Since when have any of us been able to say no to an order from Sam?"

I felt like I'd been slapped in the face and I took an involuntary step forward sending rocks skittering down into the ravine. They both whirled around to look up at me. Jacob's face looked sad and Embry looked like a kid who'd been caught doing something bad. I tried to turn and run back the way I'd come but my foot rolled on a twig and the next thing I knew I was sliding down the side of the ravine, grappling for anything to hold on to. My movements caused my body to twist to the side and instead of seeing Jacob and Embry like I expected to I saw two wolves running toward me blindingly fast but then a huge rock loomed into my vision. The last thing I remembered was an intense flash of pain in my head and then nothing.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry this took so long but I was out of town for Christmas. Thanks for the reviews! That was a really great Christmas present. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas too. **


	10. Chapter 10

I was dancing with Jacob in a room made of marble. It was cold but being close to Jake kept me warm. He guided me in ever-widening circles around the room and he beamed down at me like he was completely in love. His dark hair was long and pulled back into a ponytail. I wanted to take it down and run my hands through it. I settled for running my hands along his broad back instead and realized he wasn't wearing a shirt.

We danced close to the far end of the room where three chairs sat on a dais. Three men sat in the chairs but they looked transparent, like ghosts, but gaining more and more definition the closer we got to them. A menacing vibe rolled off of them and I tried to pull Jake away but he just ran his thumb lovingly across my cheek, "It's okay, Anni. I love you and I'll protect you." I relaxed against him but then felt myself being jerked away. One of the men had Jacob who was struggling to fight him off and another one had me. The last one sat in his chair, watching the scene with no real interest. The hands of the one holding me moved to either side of my head and began squeezing.

"Jacob!" I screamed.

He was still struggling but he managed to call out to me, "Don't worry Anni. I'll take care of you, I promise!"

The pressure in my head was building and I couldn't catch my breath but then Jacob suddenly blew up in an explosion of fur, throwing the man off of him and the red wolf was running toward me in his place.

"I promise, you're going to be okay. You have to be," It was Jacob's voice I was hearing but he was the wolf so where was his voice coming from?

With a start, I realized I had been dreaming and the pounding was in my head and I vaguely recalled hitting the rock. My eyes wouldn't open but I could feel that I was being carried and the person carrying me was running very fast.

"I'm so sorry, Anni. I promise I'll take care of you. Please, please…," It was Jacob who was running with me so fast and I would have given him anything if only he would tell me what he was begging for. I tried to tell him that but my lips wouldn't move to form the words. I could only lean in closer to the extreme warmth of his body and breath in the comforting and familiar scent that was distinctly Jacob. I felt his warm, soft lips on my forehead before the blackness took control of me again.

* * *

Someone was holding an ice pack to my head, then my neck, then down each one of my arms. No, it wasn't an ice pack, it was someone's hands and they were extremely cold. I was lying on a flat surface but it wasn't very soft and as his hands moved to my rib cage I realized that this person was checking my bones for breaks. I took a mental inventory of my body and didn't think anything was broken but my head was pounding and I could really go for four or five Tylenol right about now. I got the feeling my eyes would be in working order but I didn't want to risk opening them and making my head hurt worse. The examination continued and finally, the person spoke, "Jacob, I think she's okay. I don't feel any broken bones and even though she hit her head pretty hard, the blood made it look worse then it actually was. She doesn't need any stitches but she's going to have a pretty big bump on her forehead and she may have a concussion so she shouldn't be left alone for a day or two."

Jacob's voice came from a distance away, "Thank you, Carlisle. You know I wouldn't come here unless it was really important. You're the best doctor I know and I just couldn't…" his voice trailed off like he didn't know how to finish.

"I understand, Jacob. I hope I get to meet your friend sometime when she's awake."

The room felt warmer as the man left my side and I laid there trying to decide whether I should tell Jacob that I was awake or not. As I was about to open my eyes, I heard a girl's voice, "So this is the one? Your imprint?" She sounded sad.

Jacob's voice was rough when he replied, "Not if I can help it. Bella, you know I'll fight it with everything I have, right?"

I chanced a look and opened my eyes as little as I could while still being able to see. Jacob was standing in the doorway of the room. A pale, fragile looking brunette girl stood looking up at him and he held both of her small hands in one of his large ones and tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear with the other. So this was the infamous Bella. The one that got engaged to someone else and broke Jacob's heart so badly he had to completely leave town. Stella was right, I didn't see what was so special about her except that she obviously had Jacob. His hand moved to stroke her cheek and she ducked her head away from him. The pained look in his eyes made my heart flare up with jealousy and anger at her and I let my eyes fall shut. I'd been right; it did hurt too much to keep them open, for multiple reasons.

She spoke quietly, "I don't think you can help it, Jacob, and I don't think it's right that you fight it. You don't ask me to visit you in La Push anymore, you barely come around Charlie's house and whenever we are together, it's like your mind is somewhere else." She paused like she was waiting for him to deny it and I listened to their heavy breathing as the tension in the room doubled. "I've chosen Edward, we're going to be married and you know what happens after that." There was a low, rumbling sound like an animal stalking its prey. Did I just hear Jacob growl? "Fate has chosen her for you and I don't think either of us knows better than fate."

There was another long pause and then,"Please don't let them make you a dead thing, Bells. It will break my heart more than anything else." He sounded close to tears.

Bella sighed, "I've already made my choice, Jake. Please be my best friend again and support me in it. You know how much I need you."

I struggled against the darkness trying to take over my brain again but I lost.

* * *

The next time I woke up, I was in my own bed. The curtains were drawn and the tiny room was lit only by my small desk lamp. I could see Jacob's profile by the desk. He was holding one of my pictures and examining it closely while muscles in his jaw twitched.

"Jacob?" I asked.

He turned to face me and held up the picture for me to see. It was one of Frankie and I all dressed up for winter formal last year. We had our arms around each other and we were cheesin' for the camera. "Is this your boyfriend in New York?"

I couldn't understand him. I'd just woken up, my head was pounding like a ton of bricks had fallen on me and he wanted to ask me about Frankie of all things? "No, he's my best friend."

"Were you ever together… like that?"

I snorted, "No, Frankie's gay. Why are you asking me this right now? I feel like I got run over by a Mack truck." I struggled up so I was leaning against my elbows to get a better look at him and winced slightly at the pain it caused in my head.

I didn't think it was possible for someone to look frustrated and relieved at the same time but Jacob Black accomplished just that. "No reason." He set the picture frame back on the desk and came over and sat on the edge of my bed. The mattress gave way to his weight and resulted in my body sliding toward his so that I could feel the heat of his hip through the thin sheet. I couldn't help but hold my breath as his hand went under my chin so that my face was turned up toward his. For a split-second I thought he was going to kiss me but then his eyebrows furrowed together as he examined my forehead, turning my chin this way and that to get a better look. Finally, he let out a sigh that I couldn't discern the meaning of and shook his head slightly like he was disappointed. "I'm so sorry about this. I'll have Embry bring you some aspirin." I wanted to stop him and ask him all the questions that were bubbling back into my head like what an imprint was and what did he mean when he called Bella a dead thing but his hulking form was out the door before my sluggish brain could make my mouth phrase them.

A few minutes later Embry came in bearing some pills and a glass of water. "How long have I been out?" I asked him

"It's Wednesday morning. Not even 4 am so maybe a day and a half? Look, Anni, I didn't really mean those things you heard in the forest and I'm so sorry it caused you to get hurt."

I sighed, "It's okay if you did mean them, Embry. We can't just be expected to fit together like a real family. There's too much history."

He sat on the edge of my bed like Jacob had and I nearly groaned. I was really not up for this conversation right now. "But it's not our history and none of it's your fault, not really and it's not fair of me to act like it is. I'm going to try to push it all aside but I can't promise anything."

My head was throbbing and I scooted back to lean against the headboard so I wouldn't have to support its weight anymore. "I think it's great that you're willing to try. Obviously, it would make my life here so much easier if you didn't hate me." He nodded and stood up to leave but I spoke again, "Would you send Jacob back in here? I have some questions for him."

"I can't. He already left." When I huffed in aggravation, he hurried on, "He's been here ever since he brought you back from the Cullen's house and he hasn't slept at all. I made him go home to get some rest before Sam rips him a new asshole for taking you to see Dr. Cullen at home instead of to the hospital. Do you need anything else?"

"No, thanks Embry." He nodded again and left the room.

What the hell was wrong with Jacob? First he's staring at me like a man in the desert who's just found water, and then he's running from me at every opportunity. He's glaring at me, and then he's smiling at me. He's yelling at my brother telling him how much he wants me to leave and then he doesn't leave my side for days while I'm unconscious.

For that matter, what was wrong with me? I was drawn to him no matter what horrible, unkind things he said or how fast he ran from me. I flared with jealousy when he talked to another girl and I tingled with anticipation when he was anywhere nearby and we'd never even had a real conversation. I was just as messed up as he was.

Just then, memories came flooding back and I grabbed my head to keep from becoming dizzy. The red wolf in the yard, the same wolf in the forest chasing after the pale man, the wolf running toward me as I fell, my dream of Jacob exploding into that wolf. Finally, the reason my mother came to Forks in the first place, to learn about the Quileute legend of shapeshifters.

Jacob was the wolf!

More pieces fell into place: 'The Pack' wasn't just a cute euphemism for La Push's muscliest gang, they were an actual pack. Sam, Embry, Jared, even baby-faced Seth. They were all a bunch of freaking wolves! I let my head fall back against the pillow. Hello, Anni… Stephen King called, he wants his horror novel back.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for those reviews again! This is my first attempt at fanfiction so it's really encouraging that people will take a moment out of their day to write something nice about it. It's funny because when I was reading the books I was always Team Edward but something about the New Moon movie and the way Taylor Lautner portrayed Jacob really won me over and I really wanted to add to his world because I feel like he got screwed with Renesmee. Sorry Renesmee fans. Anyway, I put this chapter out fast because it was already written, just needed editing and I felt bad for how long it took to get the last chapter up. Happy New Year everybody! -AJ**


	11. Chapter 11

Embry had told me I probably shouldn't go to school and to be honest, I wasn't quite ready to deal with Seth and that mess just yet. How do you tell someone that you know you know they can transform into a wolf? Awkward.

My headache had begun to disperse shortly after the aspirin and I had become bored quickly and started dusting. Embry had been watching a college football game when I began attacking the TV screen with the swiffer. "So, I guess you're feeling better?" he asked, grumpily, as I blocked his view.

I tried to sound as cheery as possible, "Yep, no need for you to stick around unless you want to protect me from these vicious dust bunnies." A split-second later I heard the front door slam and I smiled while I turned the TV off. It was great that Embry was trying to turn the other cheek but I knew the last thing he wanted to do was sit around here and baby-sit me all day. We'd be at each other's throats before too long and I didn't want to screw up our newfound truce before it even started.

I was in the kitchen doing the dishes that had accumulated while I had been in bed when I felt the familiar tingle spread through my body that sometimes showed up when Jacob was nearby. I was tired of this, tired of being so aware of his presence and not knowing why. I needed answers. Today. Now.

I shut the faucet off, pulled on my boots and coat, and walked out into the rain. I knew he'd follow me, I just didn't know where to lead him. Someplace quiet where we wouldn't be disturbed. But I didn't even have to think about it; my feet were headed in the direction before my brain could catch up. The cliff. The one I had climbed right before I had came upon the ugly scene between Jacob and Embry. It was sure to be secluded and maybe it would remind him that he felt guilty and he would give me some of my answers,

I climbed steadily, sometimes using the trunks of trees for support. I imagined I could feel Jacob following along but I didn't know how close he actually was. He was probably in his wolf form to be so silent and that comforted me. I had only ever seen calm, introspection in the wolf's eyes, far from the angry looks Jacob gave me nearly every chance he got. Reaching the top, I approached the edge and sat letting my feet dangle over the side, far above the crushing water. "You can come out. I know you're there," I said, barely above a whisper but still knowing he would hear me.

There was a disturbance in the forest behind me to the left that I watched with interest and then Jacob was stepping out bare-chested and without shoes. Water dripped off his short, black hair and made tracks down his chest. He didn't even look cold, just annoyed and I swallowed, thickly. "Please get back from the edge," he said in a perfectly flat voice. "Wouldn't want a repeat performance of the other day."

I gave a completely un-ladylike snort and faced forward again, "But wouldn't you and Embry just be so thrilled if I happened to slip? It wouldn't be your fault this time so you wouldn't have to feel guilty about it. I'd just be… gone. That's what you both want right?"

I leaned over my knees to get a better view of the bottom but before I could pull back, I was being hauled away by two vice-like hands on my upper arms and slammed against the trunk of a tree, knocking the breath out of me. I was 20 feet away from the cliff in the time it took me to blink once. Jacob had me pinned against the tree with both hands pressing into my shoulders, almost painfully while I struggled for oxygen. His eyes were black and burning into mine and he was shaking with rage. "Don't you ever put yourself in danger or say anything like that ever again!" He was yelling at me but I refused to shrink away from him. I could feel the heat from his palms seeping through my jacket and shirt and it radiated through my entire body. The familiar scent of him was all around me and I struggled to keep the pleasant fog of it from taking over my brain so I couldn't think clearly.

Though it wasn't the most ideal of situations, I finally had his undivided attention and I decided to take advantage of it. "What's an imprint?"

Jacob twitched violently as if I'd slapped him. "Where did you hear that word? Did someone say something about it to you?"

His voice was low and menacing and I was almost afraid to answer him, "I heard it from you. When I fell down the hill and hit my head and you brought me to your friend to get checked out."

Jacob looked shocked, "I thought you were unconscious that whole time."

"I was in and out. I saw you and Embry as wolves and then I felt you carrying me."

Jacob's eyes narrowed to slits, "The wolves are a secret. You can't talk about it to anyone. Not here and not back in New York where you belong."

His words stung but I pushed the hurt aside, "I haven't said anything and I won't. I also heard you talking to your girlfriend, Bella. She asked if I was your imprint and you said yes and she told you not to fight it. That it was fate."

Jacob looked angry again and he spat out his words bitterly, "Bella isn't my girlfriend and an imprint is not a good thing. In fact, it isn't even anything, a made up word and you should forget you ever heard it."

He was being so ridiculous! To say that an imprint wasn't a good thing and then in the same breath to deny it exists at all just didn't make sense. Did he think I was an idiot?

Now, I was angry, "Don't lie to me! Something is going on. The first time I saw you at the bonfire it was like I had electricity running through me and then with the way you disappeared so fast… you must have felt something or at the very least, knew what was happening. Ever since then I can sometimes feel when you're nearby like you're an extension of myself. A piece that I didn't know I'd lost. You barely acknowledge I exist and when you do, it's only to glare at me but you sit outside of my house for hours. You leave rooms almost faster than I can enter them and yet, when I've been in trouble, it's you that's helped me." I was rambling, pouring out my heart faster and faster as my voice raised and I could feel a panic attack on the horizon, "I feel like I'm going crazy! Please tell me… tell me I'm not crazy. Tell me you feel something too, Jacob!"

My saying his name seemed to make something in him snap. His dark eyes felt like they were burning straight into my soul and his voice had turned gruff and husky, "I feel it too."

And then his hands had moved off my shoulders, one strong arm wrapping around my waist and the other hand twisted itself into the hair behind my neck and he was pressing me against his body. My eyelids barely had time to flutter closed when I felt his mouth crash into mine. His lips were soft and hot and a second later, I felt his tongue slip out and slide along the flesh of my lower lip. No one had ever kissed me this way and I let out a surprised gasp. He took advantage of my slightly open mouth and caressed my tongue with his. The sensation made my knees give out and if Jacob hadn't been pressing me so tightly against his body, I would have hit the ground. It was like my whole world was falling into place simply because it felt so right to be here with him, our bodies pressing tightly together and fitting like two pieces of a puzzle. I couldn't help myself, my hands flew up to his shoulders, caressing the warm muscles of his back the way I had in my dream and I felt them ripple underneath my touch. I knew the kiss was affecting him as much it was affecting me and a low moan escaped from deep in my throat.

With a strangled sound, Jacob broke his body away from mine, grabbing my wrists in his tight grip and holding them away from him. He was slightly bent over and gasping for air. He closed his eyes and shook his head quickly back and forth like he was trying to forget what we had just done. "I can't do this. I have to go." Before I could protest, I was released and he had taken off into the woods at an impossibly fast speed.

The warmth he had created around me was fading away and I slid down to my knees as the shock of Jacob kissing me and then the equally heart-wrenching loss of him coursed through my veins.

I probably would have stayed there forever, entranced by the rhythmic push and pull of the ocean, if Seth hadn't shown up just as the sun was sinking into the waves. For a minute, he just looked down on me and I thought I saw pity on his face but it was too dark to tell for sure. Eventually, he offered me his hand to pull me up and walked me home. It must have been difficult for him to keep to my sluggish pace but he did it and never said a word. He just kept me company and left me to my own tumbling thoughts.

* * *

**A/N: This chapter takes the story to over 20,000 words which is about 19,999 more words farther than I thought I would get with it. Thanks for the reviews of the last chapter, I hope this one is as well liked. I know Jacob's been a total asshat but I'm trying to balance the pull of the imprint with his anger over imprinting and having his perceived choice of Bella taken away. I know SM made it seem like the imprint was undeniable but I figure if anyone stood a chance of holding out even the littlest bit, it would be Jacob.**


	12. Chapter 12

I was not looking forward to school today. I was even going to skip my usual morning coffee simply because I didn't want to look at any of them, especially not Jacob. I was practically seething with anger at him. None of my questions had been answered last night and if it was possible, I felt even more confused. The swollen knot on my head was an angry dark purple and looked worse than it felt. I could only hope everybody would keep their flippant comments to themselves and leave me alone about it. The only upside I could see to my day was that maybe I could pry some information out of Seth and Kim at lunch.

As I expected, I received plenty of looks for my head wound but nobody was brave enough to comment and as the last 5 minutes of my class before lunch slowly ticked by, I tapped my pencil on the desk, jiggled my foot and shifted nonstop in my seat. Entering the cafeteria I saw Seth and Kim at our usual table and they watched me expectantly as I approached them without bothering to pick up a lunch for myself.

"So… you know." It wasn't a question but a statement from Kim that broke the silence.

We were free to talk here. The noise level in the cafeteria was to the point where we could use our normal voices and nobody at another table would pay attention but we kept our voices low anyway. "Yeah… I mean, I know that the La Push pack are wolves and that I'm Jacob Black's imprint but I have no idea what any of it means. Please tell me."

Seth sighed and Kim shook her head sadly, "We can't tell you. Jacob asked Sam to order everyone in the pack not to, including Embry. Technically, I could tell you since I'm not a member of the pack but it would be going against Jared and I don't want to do that. I'm sorry."

"So, what?" I asked in aggravation, "I'm just supposed to wait around until Jacob gets his head out of his ass, if he ever does? Meanwhile, everybody else knows but me?"

Seth chimed in, "Not everyone… Just the pack…. And the imprints…. And the elders."

Might as well be everyone. "Just answer me this, Kim," I begged, "You're Jared's imprint right?"

"Yes."

"Were you together before you were his imprint?"

"No. He didn't even know I was alive. He never tried to fight it like Jake is." Kim clamped her lips together tightly like she was worried she'd crossed a line with the last statement. "I don't think we should talk about the imprint anymore."

I nodded and turned to Seth, "So… you're a wolf? What's that about?" I asked just as easily as if I was asking about the weather.

All three of us burst out laughing and the black clouds that had been surrounding us instantly evaporated.

* * *

On Friday I came home from school to find a note scribbled hastily on a napkin and taped to my bedroom door:

"Billy Black invited us to dinner. 6:00. Don't be late."

I rolled my eyes at the abrupt language of the note before my brain could make sense of the words. Dinner? At the Blacks house? With Jacob?

I had let the napkin flutter to the ground and it had landed word-side down. A hand drawn map was on the back and I squinted my eyes as I tried to decipher Embry's chicken scratch handwriting. When I finally had it turned right side up I was surprised to see how close we actually lived to the Blacks. If this side of La Push had been set up like an actual neighborhood instead of a collection of randomly placed houses and barns, their house would be about the equivalent of three blocks away. I couldn't be sure since I'd never explored that direction, but they might even be our closest neighbors to the south. No wonder Jacob felt so at home in our backyard, we practically shared it. I sighed aloud when I thought about Jacob again. With the way he acted around me, I had a feeling this would feel more like a trip to the dentist than a social call. Nevertheless, I set about making a batch of chocolate chip cookies to take with me. It would be rude not to bring a host gift even if one of the hosts didn't want me there.

While the cookies baked, I changed into a pretty tank top with an argyle cardigan and a nicer pair of jeans than the ones I had worn to school. I pulled the front part of my hair away from my face and secured it with a tortoise shell clip. A look in the mirror told me that I looked presentable for a dinner with the tribe's Chief.

On my way out the door, I also grabbed a six-pack of beer that had been there since before I moved to La Push. What did we need beer in our house for? Joseph owned a bar and Embry and I weren't old enough to drink. As I had guessed, the Blacks were one of our closest neighbors so the walk didn't take long and soon enough, I was knocking on the front door of their little red house and nervously shifting my weight from foot to foot.

Billy answered with a huge smile on his face, "Annika, come in! Come in." He rolled out of the way to let me pass and then let the door slam shut behind me.

"Hi Chi-" I quickly remembered he had told me to call him by his first name. "I mean, hi Billy. Thank you for inviting me." I noticed Joseph sitting on the couch watching the sports part of the news but when he nodded in my direction, I saw how his eyes were glazed over and I instantly regretted bringing the beer. I held up my paper bag a little higher, "I brought some things but maybe I should set them down in the kitchen."

Billy nodded and led the way. The layout of the house was almost identical to ours and the kitchen was in the back. Out the kitchen window I saw Jacob and Embry on the back porch. Their backs were facing us and they seemed to be absorbed with tending to the grill. I unloaded the tin of cookies and the beer and threw the paper bag into the trashcan next to the wall.

Billy gave me a stern look, "Where'd you get the beer? Was that punk, Eddie, at the liquor store selling to underage kids again?"

"No, no!" I quickly assured him, "It was in our fridge taking up space so I thought I'd rehome it."

Billy was mollified. He took one of the beers and used the edge of the counter to pop the cap off which was actually quite impressive. "Your dad taught me that trick, " he said when I raised my eyebrows at him. "So, what's in the tin?" I took the lid off and held the contents out to him. The cookies were still slightly warm from the oven and when Billy took a bite, he closed his eyes like they were best thing he'd ever tasted. "I haven't had a homemade chocolate chip cookie in years." He looked like he meant it and I was suddenly very grateful that Ananda had taken the time to instill good manners in me even when my own mother hadn't.

"So, what can I help you with?" I asked, glancing around the kitchen.

"Well, since both my hands are now otherwise occupied," he lifted up the beer and the cookie, "you can take those baked beans off the stove and pour them into a bowl and get the potato salad out of the fridge. The boys should have the hamburgers done soon."

As I did those tasks, I stole another glance out the window. Both Embry and Jacob still had their backs turned but I suddenly noticed they were only wearing t-shirts in the crisp autumn weather. "Aren't they cold? I swear, it's like they don't own sweatshirts or something."

"Who? Jacob and Embry?" Billy followed my gaze out the window and a look of understanding crossed his features, "The pack runs warm. There could be a blizzard out there and they wouldn't even notice. I forgot you don't know these things."

I huffed, "I would know these things if Jacob would let ANYBODY explain it all to me."

"Jacob is the most stubborn person I know. Gets it from his mama. Now, she was a firecracker. Sometimes, it's best to let him have his way until he can sort it all out for himself." Billy reached for another cookie.

"I'm sure this dinner wasn't his idea. Won't he be mad you invited me here?" Once again, I felt the surrealness that came with talking to someone who knew more about these aspects of my life than I did.

Billy's eyes twinkled mischievously, "Well now, Jacob can have Sam keep a muzzle on the pack but he won't deny his dear old Dad the chance to have barbeque with a good friend and his kids."

Neither of us bothered to mention that this "good friend" was passing out on the Black's couch as we spoke. Billy was obviously in favor of the imprint and trying to push Jacob and I together. It would have been mortifying if Billy's demeanor weren't so friendly and welcoming. I felt oddly at ease with him, even more so than I felt with my own father.

I looked out the window once more and this time Jacob was leaning against the deck railing, looking at me with a blank expression that made me realize he could probably hear every word we had said. His arms were crossed across his chest and one hand held a pair of tongs. I remembered how that hand had felt twisted into my hair and I couldn't help but blush and tear my eyes away. I suddenly wished I were old enough to drink a beer and maybe make this dinner with Jacob more comfortable.

As if he read my mind, Embry came into the kitchen and descended on the beer himself. He used his bare hand to yank the cap off which was even more impressive than Billy's counter top trick. Billy frowned but didn't say anything as Embry tossed another bottle to Jacob who had followed him in with a plate of grilled burgers.

"Burgers are ready," he announced unnecessarily.

I helped Billy carry everything to the dining room table while Embry helped our father into a chair.

The dinner, itself, went very smoothly. Billy, Embry and even Joseph kept up a steady stream of conversation and even though Jacob and I were busy trying to avoid each other's gaze at all costs, we both managed to interject a sentence here and there.

After everybody had eaten, Joseph, who had sobered up some thanks to the food, announced he needed to get back to "work" and that meant Embry was driving him. Billy, Jacob and I carried the dirty dishes into the kitchen and then Billy tossed Jacob a towel, "You two kids have fun with those dishes. I have important council business to attend to." With that, he grabbed the phone receiver and rolled down the hallway. Jacob and I just stood there across the kitchen from each other until we heard the bedroom door slam shut.

"I can just go if you want…" I offered.

Jacob tossed the towel to me, "You're drying."

I stood by Jacob and let the heat rolling off of him warm the right side of my body. I felt stupid for asking Billy why the wolves wore so little clothing when I had felt Jacob's heated skin on my own more than once. Jacob reached for the knob of a radio on the counter and the strains of jazz music filtered through its speakers. I think it was meant to take the edge off of us but it didn't work and we began doing the dishes with both of our bodies as taught as guitar strings.

Every time our fingers would brush against each other while passing a dish an electric current would jet up my arm and cause me to suck in a breath while Jacob jerked his own hand away like he'd been burned. Finally after maybe the fifth time it had happened a wet plate escaped both of our grips and clattered onto the counter making us both jump guiltily.

"Argh!" Jacob practically yelled in frustration as he slammed his hand down on the faucet to stop the water. "This is making me crazy!"

I backed up against the buffet counter but Jacob followed me with the stalking steps of a mountain lion. His hands went to either side of my face and lifted it up to meet his gaze, "YOU are making me crazy."

I watched desire and indecision flicker in his dark eyes and decided I would make the choice for him. I rolled up onto the tips of my toes and placed both my hands flat against his chest. Our lips were nearly touching and our warm, quickened breaths mingled in the small distance between us. I was trying to give Jacob time to pull away but after a few seconds of neither of us moving I closed the gap and pressed our lips together. Instantly Jacob's hands moved from my face, down my neck and shoulders, brushed the sides of my chest and then wrapped around my waist securely, pulling me tightly to him. I let my lips part slightly and he took the invitation to deepen the kiss. It only lasted a few blissful seconds before I felt the tension in his arms begin to relax and his body pull slightly away from mine, sure signs he was going to end the kiss. No way! To even my own surprise I caught his bottom lip lightly between my teeth to keep him from getting any farther away but Jacob's reaction was even more surprising. A low growl came from the back of his throat and he pressed his lips even more firmly to mine, preventing me from gasping when both of his hands grabbed my ass and lifted me up onto the counter. He roughly parted my knees and slammed his body into the space between my thighs allowing me to feel ALL of him. The kiss had become ferocious, our tongues twisting roughly together and our hands roaming freely across each other's backs and shoulders. My own hands seemed to have a mind of their own and I soon found them at Jacob's waist, creeping under his t-shirt. As my fingertips made contact with the hot skin of his abdomen, Jacob grabbed a handful of my hair and used it to pull my head back, allowing him complete access to my neck. I shivered as his lips and tongue traced their way down toward my collarbone. The hand that wasn't in my hair fisted into the material of my sweater and yanked it away from my shoulder. The ripping sound of the wool brought us both back to reality at the same time and I could feel an intense blush cover my whole body as I realized that I was being mauled by Jacob Black on his kitchen counter with his father just down the hall.

Jacob's hands left my body and planted themselves on the counter on either side of my legs but he buried his face in the crook of my neck while we both struggled with our breathing. I heard him mumble, "I'm sorry about your sweater."

"It's okay, maybe I can sew it back together." We'd been ready to tear each other's clothes off a second ago and now neither of us could even look at the other person's face. Jacob's warm breath as he exhaled traveled straight down the top of my tank top and caressed the top of my breasts, causing me to break out in goosebumps.

"This isn't real, you know."

Um what? Jacob's rather large erection pressed against my inner thigh certainly felt real. That's what I should've told him but instead, I only managed a weak, "I don't understand. It feels real to me."

Jacob pulled away and took a few steps back so I took the opportunity to slide down from the counter and try, unsuccessfully, to pull my torn sweater back across my shoulder.

Jacob kept his gaze averted out the kitchen window as he spoke, "These feelings we're having… they're not real. They're being forced on us because THEY think they can control our lives."

"Who's THEY?" I asked, trying my best to keep up with this conversation even though my brain was completely muddled from our thorough make-out session only a moment before.

Jacob shrugged, "I don't know exactly. Whoever it is that gets to decide these things. The ones who have taken away everything else in my life so that I can be this monster. The ones who are now trying to take away the one choice I have left. I CHOSE Bella. I LOVED- I mean I LOVE Bella." His fist pounded into the counter and I actually watched it crack.

His declaration of love for Bella tore through my heart painfully and I wanted to return it. Hurt Jacob the way he had just hurt me. "But Bella didn't choose you." I cringed away from my own words as soon as they left my mouth.

I half expected Jacob's fist to crack me the way it had just cracked the counter but when his eyes met mine, they were full of cool appraisal like he was impressed I had dared to say that to him, "Believe me, I'm fully aware of that."

There was nowhere else for this conversation to go. "I think you can finish the dishes yourself. I'm going home."

I moved to leave but his arm shot out and blocked my path, "You're not walking home. It's pitch black outside. I'll drive you. I've already had to save you once from a vam- bad person, I don't want to do it again."

I was going to protest but the warning gleam in his eyes made me think otherwise, "Fine, I need to go straighten up in the bathroom."

He let me shove his arm out of my way and I didn't realize until I was in the hall that I didn't know which door was the bathroom. I opened the first one and reached around to flick on the light. It was Jacob's room, small and tidy despite a few clothes lying around but what caught my eye was the art tacked to the walls by his bed. It was all my attempts at drawing him as a wolf. He'd picked them up off the forest floor and tried to flatten them out but you could still see the wrinkled lines and smears of dirt here and there. All the anger I had felt for him only seconds ago melted out of my body. I couldn't believe he had gone back to get them.

"That's not the bathroom." Jacob's dark arm flashed by me and slammed the door shut. I looked up at him and managed to make out the slight embarrassment that crossed his features before he opened another door across the hall.

In the bathroom, I ran my fingers through my hair and re-pinned it but there wasn't much I could do about the sweater so I left and met Jacob at the front door where he handed me my jacket and led the way to his car.

The car ride took less than five minutes and was done in complete silence. When we pulled up in front of my house Jacob let the car idle and turned his head to look out the driver's side window. His hand was resting on the gearshift so I tentively reached out and covered it with my own causing him to twitch and grip it tighter. "I'm sorry for what I said about Bella. I can see how much it hurts you and I shouldn't have rubbed it in. I hope you can forgive me. I'll try to stay out of your way."

Jacob's jaw twitched but when he said nothing I slipped out of the car and into my house without another look back. I heard the roar of the Volkswagon as I locked the door behind me.

* * *

**A/N: Whew! That was the longest chapter yet. Thanks for the reviews on the last chapter and welcome to the new people who have added me to their favorites and story alerts! I'm glad people are liking this story and willing to give me feedback on it. You guys rock! -AJ**


	13. Chapter 13

The rest of September and October passed in much the same way. Sunday dinners with Joseph and Embry, coffee and conversations with Leah in the morning, sometimes hanging out with Seth or Kim after school, plenty of homework, and phone calls to Frankie. The only time I ever saw Jacob Black was when he would sit in his wolf form outside of my house. I pretended like he wasn't there since I knew that's what he wanted. I still felt like an outsider even though Embry was attempting to be civil with me and Seth and Kim were good friends to have. The rest of La Push ignored me for the most part and I was perfectly fine with that.

Halloween morning found me at my now usual table at the diner by the window, enjoying my coffee and the spooky way the morning fog made it impossible to see anything more than a few feet away. The Pack (minus Jacob who I never saw at the diner anymore and Leah who was working) sat around their usual tables laughing and talking.

My morning peace was shattered when I felt a large presence looming over me and looked up to see Sam Uley standing there looking annoyed. "This is getting ridiculous."

I knitted my brows together in confusion, "It's nice to see you too, Sam. You're going to need to elaborate."

He gestured to me and the table, "This! You! Sitting here by yourself when you should be sitting with us. Besides, my Emily has been dying to meet you and Emily gets what Emily wants. Paul!"

Sam snapped his fingers and another of the older looking wolves stepped up and flashed me an evil grin, "Hi, I'm Paul. Don't move."

Before I could ask why I shouldn't move he had gone behind me and picked me and the chair completely up off the floor and began walking over to their tables. I hurried to grab the edges of the seat so I wouldn't wobble off while the rest of the pack roared with laughter and Seth even stood up and let out a howl. I was relieved to see Embry was laughing good-naturedly along with them. The only thing that would make this more embarrassing would be his disapproval. I was set down gently beside the lovely woman with the marred features that I knew was Emily and Sam and Paul returned to their own chairs.

Emily smiled at me, "Don't mind them. Wolves will be wolves, right?" She went around the table making introductions even though I already knew most of the people sitting there and I'm sure they knew who I was.

Leah came out from the kitchen through the swinging doors carrying way too many platters of foods along her arms and as she passed my chair, she kicked a leg of it with one of her feet, "About time, Blondie."

"Seriously," Seth piped up from across the table.

Paul stabbed at his eggs with a fork, "Man, I know Jake is going through some crap about Bella Swan right now but it's getting old and isn't she marrying Cullen in like a month? Time to move on, you know, " he jabbed his fork in my direction and talked through his mouth full of food, "And you've got that mysterious thing going on. So, how about you forget about Jake and go on a date with me?" He wiggled his eyebrows in what I could only guess was supposed to be a tempting gesture.

"Paul…" Sam said in a warning tone. "I agree it's time Annika is part of the pack but bringing up… certain people and hitting on his imprint is not going to help the cause."

Paul continued, "It's not my fault if Black can't see what's right in front of his face. Maybe a little jealousy would do him good." He leered at me once more.

"Paul! Enough!" Sam's voice was filled with authority and all the wolves snapped their heads to attention.

Paul threw his hands up in the air in a gesture of defeat. "Fine, fine."

Quil started laughing hysterically, "Way to make a first impression, Paul!" which rewarded him a good glare.

"Um, thanks for "inviting" me to sit with you, but I really have to get to school," I started to get up from the table but Emily grabbed my hand before I could.

"Sam and I are having a Halloween party at our house tonight. It would mean a lot to me if you would come." She smiled warmly at me.

"I don't know… won't Jacob be there?"

"I hope so and it's even more reason you should be there. Please? If he gets mad, we'll just blame it on Sam."

Sam snorted through a drink of coffee but one look from his fiancé made his eyes soften and he nodded. Geez, maybe there was a reason Jacob wasn't all into this imprint thing if he thought he would end up playing the part of a whipped dog like Sam Uley.

I had a feeling she wouldn't let go of my hand until I said yes and her pleading look was making it really hard to say no. Maybe it didn't matter who you were, Emily got what Emily wanted because you just couldn't say no to her.

"Ok!" I finally caved, "But I don't know where your house is."

"I'll drive you," Embry offered and when everybody turned to look at him in shock, he rolled his eyes. "What? Maybe I'm getting tired of whiny Jacob too. There! I said it! I would rather Jacob dated my sister than have to listen to him moon over that stupid pale face Bella Swan and her leech boyfriend for one more second! Shut your mouth, Seth!" he finished as he pointed at Seth, who had obviously opened his mouth to protest something but quickly snapped it shut in the face of Embry's anger.

I stood up. "Wow, really looking forward to more of this tonight," I said in a teasingly sarcastic voice.

"Don't worry, Anni. They'll all be on their best behavior." Emily stood up and pointed her finger as menacingly as she could at the pack, which wasn't very menacing at all, actually. "If there is a repeat of the bonfire party, I will have all of you scrubbing my entire house from top to bottom."

There was a chorus of "Yes, Emilys" that made me laugh. I said my goodbyes and headed for school.

* * *

"You're not ready yet?" Embry was leaning against my doorway looking put out as I stood in front of my closet.

"I just need to change my clothes. What am I suppose to wear to a wolf Halloween party?" Nothing seemed right.

"A brave face?" he offered, unhelpfully.

"Seriously! Is it dressy? Is it casual?" I looked Embry over but the fact that he had a shirt on at all was pretty dressy.

"It's the pack. Nothing is ever dressy. I'd be surprised if half the people there are even wearing shirts… and I'm not just talking about the wolves." He grinned wickedly when he saw my scandalized face and turned to walk down the hallway. "Be at the car in 3 minutes or I'm leaving without you," he called over his shoulder.

I quickly changed into a pair of skinny jeans and an off-the-shoulders white boucle sweater. On her last trip home from Europe my mother had brought me a beautiful pair of brown leather Franco Sarto boots. They were my favorite shoes that I owned and since Halloween was a holiday, I finally felt like I could wear them. I pulled them on over my jeans and ran my hands lovingly over the buckles. Compared to most of the kids at my upper crust private school in Manhattan, I had never considered myself materialistic but shoes were definitely my weakness and I had let these beauties sit in the back of my closet for far too long, not wanting to give my new classmates anymore ammo by making them think I was some rich bitch.

Embry honked the horn of the car and I ran out as fast as I could.

"Sorry! Sorry" I said, jumping into the passenger seat of his old Jeep.

* * *

The party was in full swing when we got there. Literally, since Quil Ateara was hanging from the roof above the porch.

"What are you doing?" I asked as he flashed me an upside down grin in greeting.

"Jared bet me I couldn't hang upside down for twenty minutes."

Embry quickly reached over, grabbed a hold off Quil's swinging arms and yanked him off the roof. A normal person would have landed on their head but Quil easily twisted and landed in a crouch. "What the fuck, Em?" he demanded, angrily.

Jared jumped down off his spot on the roof where he'd been watching, "Pay up, sucker!"

"That's not fair! I didn't fall, Embry pulled me down," Quil countered.

"Hey," Jared said shrugging in a what-can-you-do gesture, "We didn't specify the terms of you staying up there."

Quil grumbled as he dug in his pocket for money while Jared and Embry exchanged wide smiles and celebratory fist bumps. "Assholes," Quil said as he handed over the bills.

I couldn't help but laugh at their immature antics as I walked through the front door, leaving them behind me.

"Anni! You came!" Kim practically pounced on me as I walked through the door. "I mean, I know Emily's hard to say no to but after that scene at breakfast, I wasn't sure if you meant it." Kim looked more alluring than usual. She'd ditched the boring jeans and t-shirts she wore to school for a green flowing top, short denim skirt and a pair of black ankle boots. She'd also put on makeup that enhanced her best features. I couldn't believe I'd thought of her as slightly plain the first time I saw her. She definitely put me and most of the other girls I'd seen in La Push to shame tonight.

"Well, it was this or sit at home torturing myself with a scary movie marathon. Surprisingly, this won. You look amazing, by the way."

"You too! Those boots are fantastic!" We exchanged a smile and then I tried to be nonchalant as I looked around the room for any sign of Jacob. There were quite a large number of people there, more than just the wolf pack and their girlfriends. I even recognized a few people from school and they all looked surprised to see me there. I also saw a few white faces in the crowd so some of the Forks kids had even shown up. I wanted to laugh when I saw that Embry was right, there were many girls who's tops were so tiny, they might as well have not been wearing one. I watched Paul walk by a cluster of scantily clad girls near the kitchen who stuck their chests out a little bit farther while he leered appreciatively at them. Stella from the diner caught my eye from across the room and we waved at each other.

"He's in the backyard with Sam, trying to get a bonfire going even though the wood is still wet from the rain this morning." Kim spoke up beside me.

"Who?" I asked, trying to sound innocent.

"Come on, Anni. I hope you don't think I'm that dumb."

"No! I don't at all. I'm sorry… it's just a little embarrassing when everybody knows he's not going to be happy when he sees me."

Kim smiled at me, "You're wrong. Everybody thinks he'll be very happy to see you, he just doesn't want to admit it to anyone, especially himself. You have nothing to be embarrassed about. Didn't you hear Paul this morning? Jacob's acting like an idiot." She grabbed my hand and started leading me toward the kitchen, "Come on, I think you need a drink to relax. I do too. If those skanky girls don't stop glaring at us, I'm going to make Sam kick them out." I was almost shocked to hear something like 'skanky' come out of sweet Kim's mouth but I quickly saw what she meant when we passed the nearly-naked girls on our way to the kitchen and they made it a point to stare at us nastily. If looks could kill Kim and I would have hit the floor by now.

"What's their problem?" I asked as she got us both beers from one of the kegs.

"Oh, you know… I'm dating Jared and you're Embry's sister. They'd pretty much do anything to get close to one of the pack and they hate that we are in the inner circle and not them." She handed me my cup and we both took sips of the beer. Never having had beer before, I didn't know if this is what it was supposed to taste like but it sure didn't taste good. "Drink up," she said, noticing the grimace on my face. "If Jacob pays you any attention at all tonight those girls are going to hate your guts and you should probably be inebriated enough to not care. He's kind of La Push's version of People magazine's Sexiest Man Alive, if you know what I mean. The only reason they aren't out there harassing him as we speak is that the fire isn't going yet and they'd turn into skanksicles."

I choked on my drink of beer as I couldn't help laughing. "Oh my gosh, Kim, you have got stop saying 'skank'. You're going to give me a heart attack."

* * *

Two hours later I was sitting out by the bonfire at one of the picnic tables that had been covered in pieces of tarp since the wood was still wet. I had spent most of the party chatting with Kim and Emily but they'd both drifted off to find their men and I didn't mind. People were milling all around but I was feeling relaxed from my second beer and was content to just sit and watch the flames by myself. I felt someone slide onto the bench beside me and knew immediately from the heat that it was Jacob. He set a new cup of beer in front of me. "Thought you could use that," his deep voice was closer to my ear than I expected and I shivered.

"Thanks, I'm almost done with this one." I couldn't bring myself to look at him, afraid of what I'd see in his eyes. Was he pissed that I was here?

He took the nearly empty cup out of my hands, "Normally, I wouldn't condone leaving a wounded soldier but you've been nursing this one for about an hour and it can't taste very good by now." He put the new cup in my hands.

"I wasn't aware that it was suppose to taste good in the first place." I also wasn't aware that he'd been watching me for the last hour, as I hadn't had a glimpse of him at all.

I had said my comment in all seriousness so I was surprised when his laughter boomed out, causing a few people nearby to stop and stare, including some of Kim's "skanks" who immediately saw Jacob and began glaring heavily at me. "Well, you've got me there." Jacob replied.

I finally managed to look at him. His eyes were like chocolate melting in the flickering firelight and he wasn't wearing a shirt so his smooth skin gleamed invitingly. I tore my eyes away quickly before he could see in them how I really felt when I was trying so hard to play it cool. "I thought you'd be angry I was here."

"I was at first but then I realized how selfish it was of me to not want you to come to a party that all your friends were going to just because it made me a little uncomfortable."

"If you're uncomfortable, why are you talking to me? You could just stay away from me."

Jacob scoffed and tipped his head back to drain the last of his beer from his cup before slamming it onto the table effectively crushing it under his palm. "Haven't you realized yet? I can't stay away." A couple months ago if somebody told me that a boy would be saying those words to me, I would have thought they were romantic but there was nothing romantic in the way Jacob said them. Just bitterness. I nodded and he quickly changed his tone and the subject back, "Nice choices with Seth and Kim. You couldn't get more loyal friends than those two. Well, the whole pack is loyal. We have to be. But they're loyal because they want to be. Your friendship with Leah, however, makes me a worry for your sanity a little."

I looked over thinking he'd be smirking at his own joke but he actually looked serious. "What's wrong with Leah?" I asked, suddenly realizing I hadn't seen her all night.

Jacob shook his head sadly and exhaled a large breath that tickled over the skin of my bare shoulder and I shivered again. Jacob immediately stood up and held his hand out to me, "You're cold. Let's go inside. I think they're playing Friday the 13th in the living room."

I wasn't cold but how was I supposed to tell him that it was him and not the weather that was making me shiver. Besides, he wanted me to go inside WITH him and I wasn't going to say no to that. I slid my hand into his and felt the familiar sparks of electricity between us as he pulled me up with a smile. I thought he'd take his hand back as soon as he'd helped me up but he surprised me by keeping it enveloped in his while we walked toward the house.

Inside, the living room was dark except for the light from the TV screen and the first thing I could see was Emily and Sam kissing in a corner. Jacob playfully punched Sam in the shoulder as we walked by, "Get a room, you two."

Sam pulled back from Emily just long enough to say, "These are all my rooms, dick," causing Jacob to laugh loudly again and get him shushed by the people watching the movie.

There were people on the couch and all over the floor but one loveseat was miraculously still free and that's where Jacob led us to sit. His massive frame caused him to sit closer to me than a normal sized person would be and I was shocked when his hand let go of mine and came to rest on my upper leg. For the next fifteen minutes I tried to concentrate on the movie but it was impossible with the way that Jacob's hand moved up and down on my thigh and his fingers traced lazy circles on my jeans.

Jacob's hand went a little farther up than it had been going, stopping very close to where my thighs met and I let out quiet gasp. Immediately I felt Jacob's lips on my bare shoulder and he began to leave soft kisses going up my neck. When he reached my jaw line he stopped and pulled away slightly and for a split-second I felt my heart sink but then his free hand came up and turned my face toward his. We were looking right into each others eyes when he finally whispered the romantic something my heart had been waiting for, "You are so beautiful. Every time I see you, you take my breath away for a moment but when I'm not near you, it's like I'm not breathing at all."

Was this it? Did I finally have Jacob Black? My heart was pounding out of control as I began to bring my lips to his for the kiss I knew we were both dying for. Our lips had barely touched when there was a vibration on the couch between us and we both jumped back.

"Damnit," Jacob cursed under his breath as he reached into the cargo pocket of his pants for his ringing phone. The front screen was lit up with the word "Bella" and we both stared at it for a second before Jacob looked at me with apologetic eyes, "I'm sorry, I have to," he said quietly before getting up from the loveseat. He flipped open his phone as he walked toward the kitchen. "What's up?" He answered and I flung myself back against the cushions in exasperation. Bella had picked her man, why couldn't she back off and let me have Jacob? Couldn't she see that she had already torn him apart and the humane thing to do would be to let him go so I could try and fix him?

Jacob was in the kitchen trying to speak softly but his words still drifted out to my ears. "What's wrong, Bells? Is everything okay?.... I'm so sorry…. Of course, I'll come meet you at my house right now… Bye Babe." I watched Jacob come out of the kitchen, pass by Sam and Emily who were both glaring daggers at him and head for the front door. When he had his hand on the knob he turned to look at me with conflicted eyes. I gave him my best blank stare before turning my head back to the movie and only heard the door slam behind him.

Screw Jacob Black.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews! I hope I gave everybody a good glimpse of "nice" Jacob in this one. I promise, he won't be a jerk forever. I just noticed yesterday that I got added to a C2 which is so exciting so thanks to Lady Katheryna for doing that. It made my day. -AJ**


	14. Chapter 14

Two weeks later I was sitting at the counter of the diner on Friday after school discussing tomorrow's trip to Port Angeles with Leah when Seth bounded in.

"I need a favor," he announced as he pounced into the seat beside me and grabbed a handful of my french fries.

"Anything," I said, expecting him to ask for help on his History paper that I knew was due on Monday and that he hadn't even touched.

"I need you to be my date to Edward and Bella's wedding," he said before taking a giant bite out of my cheeseburger.

"Anything but that," I amended my previous statement.

"Please!" Seth gave me his best sad puppy face.

"Are you kidding me? How did you score an invite to the party of the year in first place?" It wasn't just Forks that was buzzing about the wedding being thrown by the richest family in town. Kids all over our school were speculating how much it was going to cost and how they could try and get a peek at it.

Leah laughed, "Seth doesn't just hero worship Jake. I had to endure 3 straight months of listening to how awesome Edward Cullen is after he met him. I swear, little bro, I was almost questioning which team you preferred."

"Shut up, Leah. You know I'm not gay." Another fistful of my fries made it into Seth's mouth.

"That wasn't what I was referring to, Leach Lover," Leah said, giving him a withering stare. I had no idea why the Cullens were constantly being called Leaches by the pack and every attempt to bring it up was ignored.

"ANYWAYS…" Seth turned his attention back to me and Leah turned her attention to counting her tips out on the counter. "You have to be my date. You're the only girl I can ask who wouldn't think I was asking them out on a real date."

"That's not true. You could take Leah," I offered, grasping for any straw that might get him off my back.

"Bitch, please," Leah said, rolling her eyes. "If I ever have to see Bella Swan or any of the Cullens again before I die, it will be too soon."

Seth made a 'you see now?" gesture towards his sister and went back to making the puppy dog face. "Come on Goldilocks. I don't want to go to this thing alone and I already RSVP'd."

I played my last card, "Won't Jacob get pissed at you for taking me to the wedding of his one true love?" I asked, my voice dripping with malice.

"Jake's not going. He'd probably kill Edward if he did. So you see, you have no reason not to go," Seth gave me one last pleading look.

Sure, no reason not to the go to the wedding of the girl that Jacob Black was in love with. I sighed heavily. Oh well, if she changed her mind last minute and ditched Edward Cullen at the altar for Jacob, at least I'd see it first hand and not have to wait until someone took pity on me and let me know. "Fine, Seth, but you owe me. Seriously, owe me."

He gave me a triumphant smile and I glared in return, pushing my plate with the little food left that he hadn't already eaten over to him. Suddenly, I had lost my appetite.

* * *

The next day was the trip to Port Angeles with Leah and we had a blast. I had no idea why Jacob disliked her so much. Sure, she could be a little cranky and crass but I found her honesty refreshing and it was easy to be myself with someone who had no problem being herself, the rest of the world be damned. We drifted into every store, coming out of some, like the frou frou soap boutique, faster than others. "Who needs soap that smells like almonds for fifty bucks? Haven't those people ever heard of Dial?" she'd said. I didn't mention that my mother use to spend twice that much to import her lavender scented soap from France and I'd always thought it was ridiculous.

We ate lunch at a small Vietnamese Baguette restaurant with only four tables while we waited out a particularly torrential downpour and ended the day with the last matinee showing of Transformers 2 which we both agreed was complete crap and a waste of money. There was several times I was tempted to ask Leah why she and Jacob didn't get along but we were having such a nice time and I didn't want to risk ruining it so I didn't end up asking.

She dropped me off just as the sun was beginning to set and I made my way to the backyard to sit on the porch so I could take advantage of the rare November clear sky. I was sitting on the top step with my elbows on my knees and my chin in my hands when Jacob in his wolf form drifted out of the woods. I hadn't seen him since he'd left me at the party on Halloween but I hid my surprise at his sudden appearance and kept my face neutral as he took his usual position of sitting and watching the house from the edge of the tree line. I made the decision to just ignore him and continue with my original plan of watching the sunset before heading into the house. I couldn't help but let my mind wander to thoughts of him though. Talking about Bella's wedding with Seth yesterday had gotten me thinking. How was Jacob going to react after she was a married woman? Would he still pursue her or would he respect their marriage vow and let her go? Would he come to me for comfort or retreat farther inside himself? I wouldn't have to wait long for the answers since the wedding was only two weeks away.

The sun had set and darkness had overtaken the backyard. I was just about to get up when the flood light above the back door turned on announcing that it sensed movement. I was startled at first but I relaxed when I saw that it was just that wolf Jacob had walked across the lawn towards me. He was only about 10 feet away but I hadn't heard him approach. At my startled movement, Jacob stopped walking and became as still as a boulder. I was confused until I realized he thought I had jumped because I was afraid of him in wolf form. Not knowing what else to do I slowly reached my hand out in front of me like you would to a dog you were allowing to get accustomed to your scent. It worked and Jacob continued walking right up the porch steps and laid down on the deck beside me, slowly lowering his head onto my lap while watching me to make sure I didn't become uncomfortable at his proximity. Hesitantly, I began running my fingers through his hair. It was damp so he must have been out running during the last downpour but I was surprised that I detected no wet dog smell, just the sweet, spiciness that was Jacob. I took a deep breath of it in through my nose and it suddenly clicked what the scent reminded me of: the Earl Grey tea my mother use to brew in the mornings while I ran the coffee maker and she looked at me disapprovingly. It was a smell that reminded me of home and made me feel very relaxed. Jacob had closed his eyes and also looked very relaxed.

"If this is supposed to be your apology for Halloween night then shouldn't you be giving me the massage?" I asked.

Jacob didn't open his eyes but gave a big huff that sounded something like a mix of amusement and contentment but bringing up Halloween reminded me that I really was very mad at him.

"So, what are you doing here? Bella Swan not having an emergency tonight?"

Jacob opened one eye and looked at me warily.

"I'm serious. All she had to do was call and you went running." I made the motion of snapping a whip with my free hand. "I'm sure she has some laundry you could fold tonight or maybe she's in need of a foot rest while she watches TV."

The one eye narrowed in a glare before closing completely. I knew I sounded completely jealous but I didn't care, I was completely jealous.

"I'm going to go inside. You know, you're more than welcome to guard the house from the couch instead of the grass."

Jacob rose to a sitting position and shook his head, no.

"Ok, well how about you make it up to me by bringing Billy over for dinner tomorrow night? You can be my sous chef because you know I can't stay mad at a guy wearing a flowery apron."

This time he nodded his head in a yes gesture before leaping off the porch and into the forest. I didn't think I'd ever get use to how fast the wolves could move.

* * *

Jacob and Billy arrived at 5:30 the next night and Billy immediately parked himself in front of the football game. "Joseph's been holding out on me… this flat screen TV is bigger than my whole house." I had to admit it was pretty awesome. We had only had an old black and white TV from the '50s in New York and it was more of an antique decoration than anything else. On the flat screen in this house, the people on it were almost life-size and watching football felt like you were sitting in the middle of the 50-yard line.

I was surprised when Jacob followed me into the kitchen instead of taking a seat on the couch. "You can watch football, you know. I can make dinner by myself."

"No way. You said this was how I could make up for my bad behavior so that's what I'm going to do. Now, point me in the direction of the embarrassing aprons."

I almost couldn't hold back my laughter, he looked so earnest, "I was joking, I don't think we actually own any."

"Hmmm, well I owe you one ridiculous garment and I intend to make good. Will you get me some tape and some scissors?"

I went to the hall cabinet to grab them and when I came back Jacob had picked up yesterday's newspaper out of the recycle bin and was making a bunch of intricate folds with a look of intense concentration on his face. He sensed me standing there and held out his hand for the tape and scissors. We shared our usual electricity when our fingers touched and he looked up briefly from the newspaper to give me a sweet half-smile that made my heart skip.

His hands worked quickly and it was hard for me to keep up with what he was doing but I didn't have to wait long before he was holding up a perfect newspaper replica of a tall chef's hat. "Ta da!" He placed the hat on his head and struck a model pose. "Ridiculous enough for you?"

Ridiculous? No… not even a hat made out of newspaper could make Jacob look anything less than gorgeous but I couldn't tell him that without thoroughly embarrassing myself. "It's perfect. I hope you plan on making me one too.

He raised one eyebrow and smiled, "I was kinda hoping you'd say that even though I'm the only one who's suppose to be looking stupid in penance." He started work on the next one and I tried to watch to see how it was done. "My mom used to make these for me and my sisters when we would help her in the kitchen. I can't believe I actually remember how to do it."

"I didn't know you have sisters. I've never seen them around."

"Well, one got married and moved away and the other went to college and moved away," Jacob frowned at the hat while he applied the tape. "My Dad misses them a lot but I can't say that I blame them. Until the wolf thing, I was counting down the days until I could get out of this town too. There!" He held the second hat up in triumph and I stood still while he fitted it to my head and then stopped to take a look at his handiwork. "Well, what do you know? Perfection." I would have thought he was referring to the hat if not for the intense look he was giving me. His left hand came up and cupped my cheek, sending ripples of fire along my jaw line and my lips tingled with anticipation, as they got closer to his.

Once again there was an interruption as Embry coughed loudly from the doorway. Jacob groaned and pulled away from me with his eyes closed, "What is it, Embry?"

"Well, for one… Nice hats. The two of you are complete dorks and totally deserve each other and for two, I just wanted to let you know Dad and I were here and we'll be watching football with Billy. It's a really good game, Jacob. You're totally missing out."

"Thanks but I don't think I am," Jacob said as he tossed the leftover newspaper back into the recycle bin.

"Whatever, man." Embry walked back toward the living room grumbling about whipped imprints. I knew Jacob had heard and I instantly tensed up, thinking it would ruin the casual atmosphere in the kitchen but Jacob just clapped his hands together, "Where do we start?"

I set him to work chopping vegetable for the chicken potpie and went about making the crusts.

I showed him how to make a roux for the sauce and we stood together over the warm stove and made small talk. It felt so natural and comfortable to just be together like this that I almost wished the pie would never be done. After it was assembled and popped in the oven to bake, Jacob took my hand and led us into the living room where we had been hearing some loud cheering. Embry and Joseph were occupying the couch with the better view of the TV so we took the other and I was surprised when Jacob put one arm firmly around me and held me close while he cheered for the Seahawks who were actually winning for once. I was a little embarrassed by his display of affection in front of both of our families but Billy caught my eye and gave me a smile and a nod and I realized I didn't have to be embarrassed because this was the way it was suppose to be… this was what was expected of us. With the embarrassment gone, I realized just how right this felt. It had felt good to have Embry and Joseph together with me on Sundays for dinner but it felt even more so to have Billy and Jacob here too. I hadn't realized until just then that they were also a part of my La Push family and that they were suppose to be here all along.

Ever since the first time I had laid eyes on Jacob I had felt an intense need to be with him but now I suddenly understood the imprint a lot more. It didn't just make us want to date and maul each other on kitchen counters and all that other hormonal teenage stuff that I hadn't thought past. We were supposed to get married and bring two families together. We were supposed to have babies and make our family stronger. We were supposed to grow old together and sit on a porch swing while we watched our grandchildren tumble around in the front yard.

I understood Jacob now and I felt horrible. He had just finished telling me how much he had looked forward to leaving La Push when he was 18 and I had always just assumed that I would move back to New York and share an apartment with Frankie for college but that wasn't going to happen. There would be no denying the imprint. We were going to live in La Push forever because that's how it was suppose to be. Our entire lives were already mapped out for us.

I felt sick and desperately wanted to tuck my head down between my legs to keep from hyperventilating but I couldn't deal with all the questions that would raise. Jacob, of course, sensed the change in me immediately. "What's wrong?" He whispered in my ear. I turned to look at him, trying to think of something to say that wasn't a lie but the look of shock and horror in my eyes gave me away and he understood. "Oh… finally got there, did you?" It wasn't said in a snarky or sarcastic way, just in a resigned way. We were finally on the same page and we both knew it.

I was relieved when the timer in the kitchen went off signaling the pie was done and giving me an excuse to leave the living room. I removed it from the oven and then just stood there over the stove, taking deep breaths and desperately trying to pull myself together. I wasn't surprised when Jacob pulled me into his arms and I buried my face in his t-shirt and secured my arms around him. "You could have told me," I said.

Jacob gave a mocking laugh, "And how, exactly, was I suppose to start that conversation? Hey, what are you doing for the rest of your life? You probably would have gotten on the first plane back to New York to escape your crazy La Push stalker."

Yeah, he had me there. "I'm sorry I've been giving you a hard time about it."

He kissed the top of my head, "I'm sorry I've been such a jerk about it but maybe now that we both know what's going on, we can try to break the imprint together."

I pulled back from him quickly, "Break the imprint?"

"Yeah, it's not like you want to be stuck here forever, right? You've got a whole life back in New York waiting for you."

"Right…" I agreed but is that what I really wanted? I couldn't think with him standing so close and I hadn't even had time to process my feelings about this yet. I took another few steps back and tried to shake off the feeling of his warmth. "Why don't you go tell everyone dinner is ready?"

He looked at me sadly, "Okay… but Anni, there's no reason why we can't be friends now that we both know what's going on. I really like spending time with you and it would make everything so much easier."

"Sure," I said, opening the refrigerator door to get out the salad and to hide the tears in the corners of my eyes.

By the time that I sat down with everyone around the table, I had managed to pull myself together and paste a fake grin on my face that I hoped was believable but it quickly became unnecessary as it was soon replaced with a real grin that came from truly enjoying the company of the people around me, especially Jacob.

By the end of dinner, I knew what I wanted and it wasn't to be Jacob Black's friend. I may have been caught off guard by the idea of spending my entire life in this small town but the more I thought about it, the more I wanted it. Sure, I'd play along and be his friend if that's what he wanted for now but I was going to fight for the future I'd just realized I wanted more than anything.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry this chapter too me so long. I have two small children and life got in the way. I promise the next one won't take so long to put up as it's already partially written. Anyways, thanks everyone for all the sweet reviews on the last chapter and welcome to the new people who have added me to their alerts. I love seeing those emails in my inbox. -AJ**


	15. Chapter 15

Apparently being "just friends" was Jacob's way of justifying spending more time with me because over the course of the next week, we acted more like a couple than anything else. Every morning for the next week he made me sit beside him at the diner, usually with his arm around me. None of the pack said anything or gave us weird looks but I chalked that up to the fact that they somehow always knew what was going on with each other and they understood Jacob's behavior more than I ever would.

After school on Monday, the day after we decided to be just friends, I set up my easel in the dining room since it had the biggest window and allowed for the most natural light. I was attempting a watercolor of First Beach but I was having trouble keeping the distances of the cliffs in perspective. Around 5:00 Jacob walked through the front door. I wasn't surprised since the view out the window had allowed me to see him drive up in the Rabbit.

"Anni!" he barked from the front door. "Why is the front door unlocked when you're here alone?"

"Because then you might have to knock. Couldn't have that, right?" I called back to him and letting him know which room I was in.

He appeared in the dining room doorway with arms crossed and brow furrowed in frustration. "Politeness is not the issue here. Safety is and you shouldn't allow just anyone to walk in here."

"Ok, Jake," I smiled. "How about you go back outside, I'll lock the front door, you can try knocking and we'll see if you're just anyone or not?"

I expected to see his scowl deepen but instead he broke out into a grin, "You called me Jake."

I shrugged, "It's what your friends call you so I thought it would be appropriate."

He walked over to me and kissed the top of my head, "Yeah, it's perfect." Jake stood behind me and examined my painting, "Are you doing this from memory?"

"Yeah, I would love to actually paint on the beach but just because it's called watercolor doesn't mean you can do it in the rain," I said, referring to the constant grey drizzle going on outside the window.

"Wow, I thought the wolf drawings were amazing but this is just… wow. Even more beautiful than that flat screen you're going to let me watch the UDub game on right now, right?" He gave me his most charming smile.

"Yeah, it was getting too dark to paint anymore, anyways. I think I'll start dinner and join you."

By the time the chicken fettuccine was finished we'd been joined by Embry, Quil, and Paul and I was glad I had made something I could easily triple the recipe on. I spent another evening surrounded by sports-obsessed males who cheered loudly and jumped up to yell at the refs equally as loud and I loved every minute of it.

* * *

Jacob had to patrol on Tuesday but Wednesday he picked me up and took me to dinner at Sam and Emily's where we were joined by Jared and Kim. Sam had started a fire in the fireplace and Emily had set mood lighting with vanilla and pine scented candles. I wondered if Jacob even realized we were on a triple date.

After dinner, the guys drifted into wolf talk in the living room and at Kim's urging Emily pulled out her binder of wedding preparations and laid them out on the dining table. She showed us the pattern for the dress she was making herself and the menu from the Italian restaurant in Forks that was doing the catering. She told us how her parents couldn't afford to buy them a wedding present so her mother was making their wedding cake herself and showed us the picture of the three tiered white cake with fondant ribbons sweeping down the side that they had worked out together.

Kim sighed dreamily, "It's all so romantic. I can't wait to plan my wedding to Jared but he wants to wait until I graduate from college. Man, that is going to be a long four years of driving back and forth."

I looked up, surprised, "Wait, you're going to college somewhere else?"

"Well, yeah. It's not like there's anything nearby besides community college. I'm just going to Seattle Pacific and I'll drive back every weekend and be home every holiday but it's still going to be tough. I'm used to seeing Jared practically every day." She paused and I could practically see the light bulb turning on over her head, "You should consider going there too. We could carpool. Oh! And be roommates! Wouldn't that be great?"

Kim's eyes shimmered with excitement but I looked away, toward the fireplace where Jacob was sitting and saw that he had been watching me and listening to the whole conversation. His face was stony and I quickly turned my attention back to the flower arrangements that Emily was showing us.

Jacob wasted no time broaching the subject as soon as we were in the car. "You're not going to some second-rate college just to be near me. You're better than that. For that matter, Kim is better than that."

"Wow, egotistical much? I don't think Kim wants to stay near Forks because of you..." I teased.

Jake looked at me, darkly, "You know what I mean."

I returned his glare, "Well, who says I would be doing it just because of you? Maybe I like being near my family. Haven't you noticed how much better Joseph looks since the first day I got here? I think Sunday dinners and reconnecting with his son have really been good for him." Jacob nodded his head in acquiescence but said nothing so I continued. "And maybe I like having Embry for a brother. We may not get along all the time but that's how real family is right? I've never had that before. You've never bothered to ask what my life in New York was like but if you did, maybe you would know that I don't have all that much to go back to." I couldn't keep the bitterness out of my voice.

"What about your friend, Frankie? Don't you want to go to school near him?" Jacob asked, quietly.

"I love Frankie but I'm not going to pick a college based on where he is anymore than I would pick one based on where you are." That was a total lie but I hoped he couldn't tell and I rushed on to cover it up, "Furthermore, Seattle Pacific is not a second-rate college. It's actually a really good private school and I would be lucky to get accepted there." I crossed my arms and stared out the passenger window.

I felt Jacob's warm hand cover my thigh and give a gentle squeeze. It made my heart pound a little harder but I refused to let him sway me so easily. "I'm sorry and you're right. I shouldn't have assumed that but hearing Kim talk that way upsets me. I went to school with Kim and I know how smart that girl is. With her grades and heritage she could easily get a full scholarship to somewhere like Harvard but she's going to throw it all away just to be near Jared. It's just another reason why I hate the idea of imprinting."

I turned my head to look at him, "Maybe she doesn't feel like she's throwing anything away. Maybe she's making an investment in a future she really wants."

Jacob shook his head sadly, "That's exactly my point."

The rest of the ride home was silent.

* * *

On Thursday morning there was a small bouquet of daisies on my porch when I left for the diner and Jacob gave me an apologetic smile when I saw him there. I smiled back, letting him know all was forgiven and let myself get carried away in the conversation and teasing of the pack before I had to head for school.

At lunch, Seth and Kim were merciless with their own teasing.

"Look at our girl, Kim, she's practically glowing," Seth declared, fluttering his lashes for dramatic effect.

"Our baby is all grown up," Kim sniffed and wiped a pretend tear from her eye. They shared a laugh at my expense, that I let them know with a hard look, I didn't find it at all amusing. "So, what's the deal with you two anyways?" She asked in all seriousness.

"We're just friends," I said trying to give the appropriate answer but knowing neither of them would buy it.

Kim laughed, "What?"

"Yeah, the best part is that Jake actually believes that," Seth said, once again joining in Kim's laughter.

"Well, he's the only one that does," Kim replied, rolling her eyes. "I swear, that boy can be so dense."

"C'mon, you guys. At this point, I'll take what I can get, you know?" I said, picking listlessly at my salad. I wasn't a huge fan of salads but I'd take them over Tuna Surprise any day. Seth, on the other hand, was loving the Tuna Surprise and had already eaten his share and moved onto Kim's portion. I grimaced, "I don't know how you can eat that garbage. I mean what's the surprise supposed to be anyway?"

"It's love, Anni. The secret ingredient is always love and don't try to change the subject. Even though you're all buddy-buddy with Jake now you're still going to be my date to the wedding next week right?"

I groaned, "I already said I would even though I would rather be doing anything else. I think I'd even look forward to walking on hot coals more than this."

"Well, you're more than welcome to do that the weekend after," Seth smirked at me.

* * *

On Friday, I stood under a covered doorway after school dreading the walk home. The day had started off normally enough with the usual rainy drizzle but now it looked like a tsunami had hit La Push and I hadn't even bothered to wear a jacket with a hood on it. The bottoms of my pants were already soaked since the rain slanted sideways. I had finally resigned myself to taking a deep breath and just going for it when Jake's Rabbit roared into the parking lot, twisting around the other cars that were trying to leave and pulling up to the curb about a hundred feet away. He leaned over and threw open the passenger door, "Hurry and get in!"

I ran as fast as I could without slipping in the puddles and launched myself into the seat that Jake had thoughtfully covered in beach towels and threw my backpack into the backseat. "Thanks-s-s-s-s," I chattered, already soaked to the bone and freezing. Jake cranked the dial on the heat up as far as it could go and I leaned into the warm air.

"Thought you might appreciate a ride. You really need to learn how to drive, not that I mind saving you from hurricanes." That was the last thing Jake said the whole way to my house. He was so busy trying to concentrate and see around the rain that was pouring down in sheets so thick his windshield wipers couldn't keep up. Every once in a while a gust of wind would rock the tiny car so hard that I could actually see his knuckles turn white as he gripped the steering wheel to keep the car from flying off the road.

At my house, we both sat in the car contemplating the run to the covered porch, neither of us looking forward to it. I was still drenched from the last run I made and not thrilled about having to do it again.

"Okay…" Jake said, "Let's just run for it on three."

"Alright," I twisted around to grab my backpack but Jake stopped me.

"No, leave it. You don't need it right away anyways." I nodded in agreement and we both took deep breaths. "Okay… 1… 2… 3…"

We threw open our doors and let the wind slam shut behind us as we launched ourselves across the front lawn and up the porch steps which had never felt so far from the driveway before. We stood on the porch, dripping while I fumbled the keys out of my pocket to get us inside. I couldn't believe that less than 10 seconds in the rain would leave me feeling like I'd just taken a shower with my clothes on. Jake entered first and I followed after ringing out my long hair.

"I'm going to go borrow some of Embry's pants," he said and disappeared down the hall. I went into my own room and changed into some comfortable yoga pants and a t-shirt, shivering the entire time. I towel dried my hair as well as I could and left my room. Jacob had already built a fire in the living room fireplace and was sitting on the couch wrapped in a large blanket, his hair already drying. When he saw me shaking in the doorway, he opened his arms wide, inviting me to share the blanket with him though I don't think he expected me to straddle his lap, press myself against his bare chest and bury my face in his neck to take advantage of his wolfy warmth but he only laughed, good-naturedly and wrapped the blanket around us both.

At the time I had been mostly thinking about warmth but now that my shivers were quickly subsiding, I began to notice the effects of our close proximity: the way that Jake's heart pounded slightly faster than normal, the way any patch of bare skin meeting bare skin would produce pulses of electricity, and the way his breath would catch whenever I shifted my weight in his lap even a little. Jacob could try and trick the whole world by saying we were just friends but it was obvious that he was turned on and I doubted he would react to me this way if he really felt that way deep down. Then again, Frankie had once told me that anything, even floor tile, could get a teenage boy horny so maybe I wasn't all that special after all.

I decided to test my boundaries with him even though we'd had such a nice week and I'd probably ruin it all by playing with fire like this. I pressed my lips firmly to the pulsing vein in Jacob's neck and felt him go completely still beneath me but he didn't push me away or tell me to stop so I felt slightly more brave and moved my head to press another kiss into the hollow of his throat while my hands rubbed circles into his shoulders. Finally, he responded by groaning softly and gliding his hands up my thighs and over my hips until he was grabbing my ass. I left tender kisses up his neck while his fingers clenched and unclenched my flesh and when I reached his ear, I flicked the lobe gently with my tongue. Jacob gasped and threw his head back while his hands pushed my body down until I was pressed tightly against his erection, making me whimper and causing the blanket to slip off of us. Jacob took in a deep breath through his nose and lifted his head up to look at me. His eyes were dark with lust and his voice was husky, "You're excited," he stated matter-of-factly. I'd really enjoyed kissing Jacob the other times but I'd never been wet for him before probably because I'd been nervous and unsure of myself. Now, I felt in control and brave and my body was every bit as aroused as his was.

"So are you," I responded, refusing to be embarrassed by how much I wanted him. He kissed my lips gently and I wrapped my arms around his neck as we deepened the kiss until our tongues were moving slowly and sensually together, winding and unwinding with delicious friction. I gave my hands free reign to wander up and down his bare chest, along his broad shoulders and through his damp hair. My brain felt pleasantly foggy and all I could think about was how amazing it felt to be like this with Jake.

Jacob's hands eventually left my butt and slowly worked their way up under my shirt until they were just below my bra where I expected him to stop but he surprised me by hitching his thumbs underneath the cotton band and gliding them along the sensitive undersides of my breasts. I couldn't help the moan that came out of me or the way my hips bucked in response, causing my core to rub against the hard length of him and eliciting a growl from the back of his throat.

His hands came back down to my waist and held me still while he broke the kiss and leaned his had back against the couch with his eyes closed. "Anni, Anni, Anni… how do you know exactly what to do to drive me completely crazy?" I guessed his question was rhetorical so I remained quiet and focused on getting my blood pressure to return to normal. "We have to stop now."

I rolled my eyes, "I know, I know. We're just friends, right?"

Jacob squeezed my hips, "Well, there's that but I was thinking more about the fact that if you don't stop rubbing against my cock like that, I'm going to lose all control and fuck you right on this couch, friend or not," he paused and then added, "Pardon my language."

I couldn't help it, I burst out laughing and fell off his lap sideways on to the couch. It was hilarious to me that he would use such crude language and then be all polite and apologize for it.

"I'm serious, Anni! A man only has so much self control." I guess because I needed some release from the tension that had built up in my body, I couldn't stop laughing. Jacob rolled his eyes and slapped me on the ass, causing me to laugh harder. "Ugh… you're going to be the death of me." He rubbed his hands over his face like he was trying to clear his head. "Do you have candles in case the power goes out?"

I nodded and watched sulkily as he got up to leave. "Sunday night dinner!" I called out as he opened the front door without another look back at me. He just lifted his hand in acknowledgement.

* * *

The power did end up going out at about 8:00 so I lit candles in the living room and made sure I kept fresh logs on the fire to stay warm. I picked a book at random from my collection but had a hard time concentrating because I was listening to the howls outside, trying to decipher if they were from the wind or the pack. Eventually, I fell asleep on the couch, not wanting to leave the warmth of the fire.

I dreamed I was running through the woods lit only by a full moon. My heart was racing in panic but I didn't know if I was running from something or running toward something. My head swiveled right and left as I tried to figure out the source of my fear and as a result I stumbled over many branches on the ground I wasn't bothering to pay attention to. A shadow near a tree moved unnaturally and I stopped short, trying to meld my body to another nearby tree. The shadow elongated and a young teenage girl with long blonde hair stepped into the moonlight and I let myself relax slightly.

"Who are you?" I asked, stepping away from the tree, not really afraid of this tiny girl.

"I think you know," her voice was melodic and menacing at the same time. She took another step out into the moonlight and I saw that her eyes glowed bright red. I gasped and stumbled back, bumping into the tree. "In fact," she said, with a small smirk, "I think you know entirely too much."

Suddenly, my body was filled with such intense pain that I couldn't even scream. It felt like every nerve ending I had was on fire and my body twitched in response as I slid to the ground. It might have only been seconds but it felt like an eternity had passed. The girl's smile grew bigger and she took a step toward me.

There was a sudden crash in the words and another girl flew out of the woods, her brown hair streaming behind her and slammed into the blonde with such force that it sounded like two boulders crashing together. Instantly, the pain left my body and I used the tree for support to pull myself up. Another crash came out of the woods and wolf-Jacob streaked past me straight toward where the two girls had disappeared. I didn't know what to do. I wanted to run and get as far away from the blonde as I could but I also wanted to stay near Jacob. A series of inhumane screeches filled the woods, making me gasp and I nearly ran right then but Jacob appeared, completely naked and held out his arms and I ran directly to him, reveling in the safety of his proximity.

"Is she okay?" A girls voice came from behind Jacob and I peeked under his arms to see Bella Swan standing there. She stepped away from the trees and just like the blonde her eyes were glowing bright red. I immediately started screaming at Jake to run and trying to pull him but he just stood completely still with his arms around me, making it impossible for me to move so I just kept screaming and struggling.

* * *

I was being shaken awake by two large hands, "Anni, wake up! Wake up, you psycho!" I opened my eyes to see Leah standing over me. "Good God, girl! I could hear you down the street! What the hell were you dreaming about?"

Too out of it to decipher anything but the last part, I responded, "Bella Swan."

Leah snorted and gave me a look of understanding, "Ah, no need to explain further. That bitch gives me nightmares too."

We both dissolved into laughter.

* * *

**A/N: Holy cow! The reviews have been amazing! Thanks so much for the encouragement. I got added to two more C2s and it REALLY boosted the traffic to my story so thanks to the lovely ladies from those communities that took the time to add Change of Plans. I'm honored that you think this story deserves to be included amongst the fantastic pieces of fiction there. This chapter was suppose to include Bella and Edward's wedding but I got sidetracked so that's coming up next. Thanks for reading! -AJ**

**P.S. Thanks to everyone for not bringing up my numerous grammatical errors I know I must be making. I don't have a Beta and I've never been an English major so I don't remember all the rules about commas. I try to edit and use spell check but it can only get me so far. I'm just glad no one has ripped into me for it yet. For real. :)**


	16. Chapter 16

Leah and I made huge omelets for breakfast after she woke me up and we spent a good hour talking over steaming cups of coffee before she informed me that she had a lunch date with a boy from Forks she had to go get ready for.

"Wow, how long has that been going on?" I asked, since she'd never mentioned going on a date with anyone before.

"This is the first date," she said. "I guess I just realized that there wasn't anybody in La Push for me and that I should expand my horizons a little, you know? Besides, you're practically white and I like you. Maybe white boys aren't so bad, after all." She winked at me before getting up to leave. "See ya, Blondie."

I smiled to myself as I rinsed out our coffee cups. I don't care what Jake said about Leah, I thought she was great and if it wasn't for her tough i-don't-care attitude, she wouldn't have talked to me that first day and I'd probably still be hiding under hoodies, with no friends and trying not to be noticed.

The rest of Saturday was spent on homework and trying to finish the watercolor but without getting another firsthand look at the beach, I couldn't figure out why it didn't look right.

* * *

On Sunday I was surprised when I saw Joseph's truck drive up instead of Embry's and Joseph stepped out from behind the wheel. I hadn't seen him sober enough to drive since he'd picked me up from the airport and even then I could see how much he wanted to get back to the bar. This Joseph seemed content to be clear-headed and I felt my heart expand in my chest as he put one hand on Embry's shoulder in a very fatherly gesture while they walked up to the house. I hadn't been lying when I'd told Jacob how much better he looked and how much his and Embry's relationship had improved. My whole life in La Push was not what I expected and everything had started coming together in such a way that I could envision myself really being happy here with my family and my friends that I was growing attached to. I gave the pair a big smile as they greeted me in the kitchen and Joseph immediately walked into the living room to turn on the game.

"I'm starving and I've been thinking about dinner all day. Need any help?" Embry asked me. I couldn't help myself; I walked over and threw my arms around his waist in a giant hug. Embry's hands flew into the air like he had a gun pointed at him and he tried to take a step back but I went with him. "Whoah! Whoah! What's the matter with you?"

"Nothing's the matter," I said, still smiling. "I'm just so happy."

Billy and Jacob chose that moment to come through the door.

"What's going on?" I heard Jacob ask.

"I don't know. She's gone crazy or something. Dude, would you help me out here?" Embry pleaded.

I felt Jacob detangling my arms from around Embry and replace them around his own waist. I didn't care; I just needed to hug someone for a minute.

Embry backed away toward the living room, "Jacob, you've got to stop making her happy. She's getting all weird on us." I felt Jacob's laughter rumbling in his chest and finally pulled away to greet Billy who was also laughing.

"I've got something for you," he said. Jacob and I watched as he pulled a small, wooden box out of his jacket and I saw Jacob tense up beside me which, in turn, made me tense as I took the box out of Billy's hands and flipped the lid open. Inside was dozens of blue index cards filled with aged writing. The first one read, "Great-Grandma Black's Elk Stew," and I didn't even have to ask him what it was. I looked up at Billy while I tried to keep my eyes from getting misty.

"It was Sarah's recipe box," he explained, unnecessarily. "I was going to save it to give Jacob's wife when he got married but I don't see the point in making you wait that long if you're going to insist on cooking for us now."

"Dad…" Jacob said, closing his eyes and running his hands through his hair in embarrassment or aggravation, I couldn't tell which.

"Jacob, you're not going to give me any grief about this. We all know how this is going to end and I've tried to be patient with you but your denial has crossed over the line of being ridiculous. Besides, I've been missing your mother's salmon casserole for years now and I'm sure Anni wouldn't mind making it for me sometime, right?" He looked up at me with a wink.

"Yes, of course." I bent over to hug him. "Thank you Billy."

"Oh God! She's not done hugging yet?" I heard Embry say from the doorway. "When are we eating?"

Billy patted me on the back, "You're welcome."

I pulled away and ducked past Jacob quickly so he wouldn't see the tears in the corners of my eyes and went back to where I was slicing vegetables. Billy followed Embry back into the living room and I listened as Jacob just stood there, breathing. I dumped the bell peppers and onions into the sizzling pan and took the meat out of the fridge and began slicing it into strips.

"Steak, huh? You really know the way into men's hearts, don't you?" Jacob's voice was mocking and he was clearly not happy that his Dad was thinking about me as a Daughter-In-Law while he was busy thinking about me as a friend.

"I happen to love steak fajitas and if you don't, you're more than welcome to anything else in the fridge," I said, coldly. There was a pause as I added the meat to the veggies and seasoned them. "You can take the recipe box home with you. I'll understand and Billy never has to know if you hide it somewhere."

Jacob let out a defeated sigh, "No, it's Billy's choice who to give it to. Rightfully, it should belong to you and even though I know I'm the idiot everyone says I am, I'm not going to take it back."

"Well, ok then. Can you quit putting a damper on my good mood and set the table?"

Dinner was enjoyable. I'd thought I'd made a ridiculous amount of food but there ended up not being any leftovers. If Jacob was still mad, he hid it well and he even gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek as they were leaving.

* * *

Everything was normal for a few days until Thursday morning rolled around and I was at the diner with the pack, eating an apple turnover so large, that I made Jacob share it with me.

Leah leaned over the table so I could hear her over the talking of the males, "So, what are you wearing to the wedding?"

Jacob's head snapped up, "What wedding?" He had asked loud enough that suddenly we had everybody's attention.

I groaned inwardly while Leah said, "Seth is taking Anni to Edward and Bella's wedding."

Jacob stood up so fast that the back of his knees threw his chair into the wall behind him, "Oh no, he's not! I forbid it!"

I stood up quickly too, though my chair didn't go nearly as far. "You what?" I asked, incredulously.

"I forbid you to go to that wedding. The Cullens are dangerous, Anni."

"Oh… the Cullens are dangerous… I see. Is that why you took me to Dr. Cullen when I smashed my head on a rock? Were you hoping he'd finish the job?"

"No, don't be stupid," Jake said, causing Paul to give a low whistle and lean back in his chair with his arms crossed. "Wait... what I mean is, I trust Dr. Cullen."

"Ok, so Dr. Cullen isn't dangerous. Is his wife?"

"No! Esme's awesome!" Seth said from his corner, prompting Jake to glare murderously at him.

"Listen Anni, it doesn't matter how I feel about any of them personally. No matter how nice they are, they're still dangerous and I don't want you to go to that wedding," Jacob had walked around the table and was leaning on it with both hands, facing me.

I leaned on the table as well and mirrored him so that our faces were about a foot apart, "Then give me a real reason. Tell me why they're dangerous."

We stared at each other in a standoff for a moment before Jacob broke away and turned to Sam. "Tell her she can't go."

Sam shook his head, "I can't force Anni to do anything, you know that."

Jacob stood his ground, "Then tell Seth he can't go."

Seth started to object but Sam cut him off, "I already gave Seth permission and I'm not taking it back just because you decided you didn't want Anni to know the truth and I went along with it... though your actions are making me start to regret it."

Jacob growled and stomped toward the door, grabbing a hold of the edge of one table and upturning as he went.

"Asshole," Leah said, getting up to fix the table but Embry was closer and he fixed it for her with a smile that earned him a questioning scowl.

"Yeah, that was weird..." Embry said. "I think Anni's niceness is rubbing off on me. Re do!" He flipped the table back on it's side and Leah rolled her eyes as she up righted it once more.

"So Anni… what are you wearing to the wedding?" she said, with an evil grin.

* * *

I wore a deep green cocktail dress with thick beaded straps that was fitted to the bust and flowed down to mid thigh. I'd purchased it in a boutique on Fifth Avenue and wore it to a freshman formal dance where my date had been Frankie because I was still taller than most of the boys in my grade then and it would have been too embarrassing to dance with me. Frankie didn't care, he had even helped me pick out the jade green pumps and merengued proudly with me in front of everyone. I'd never worn it since and slipping it on was like saying hello to an old friend. Seth was wearing what had probably been his dad's pants and blue blazer since it was a little snug but he still looked quite handsome and I had a feeling I was going to lose my date to a pretty girl within the first five minutes of the reception.

I hadn't seen Jacob since his blow-up at the diner and I couldn't help but wonder what he was doing tonight while Bella was getting married and I would be in attendance. Was he running with the rest of the pack or maybe drowning in his sorrows on First Beach? I thought about asking Seth but he was in a good mood and I didn't want to ruin it by reminding him how mad Jake was at the two of us.

Seth drove us deep in to the woods past Forks and I was starting to wonder if we'd ever get there when we turned onto a dirt road that was lined on either side with large trees covered in white twinkle lights. Hand painted signs urged us onward toward the "Swan-Cullen Wedding" and I couldn't believe it when the trees cleared and we were suddenly in front of the biggest house I'd ever seen. It was also lit up with white lights and there was an actual valet parking the arriving cars. I was wondering how rich these Cullens actually were and if maybe money had factored into Bella Swan's choice of Edward Cullen over Jacob. Seth reluctantly gave the keys to Leah's car over to the valet and we entered the large living room set up with about 150 chairs and took two seats in one of the back rows. The wedding happened quickly after that. Bella looked very pretty in her wedding dress and her and Edward looked at each other with so much love it was almost uncomfortable to watch. Maybe money wasn't the reason after all. When they sealed it with a kiss one of Edward's best men, who Seth told me was his brother, Emmett, let out a whoop so loud it echoed in the tall ceilings of the room.

Even though it was January the reception was held under a large canopy tent outside but with all the heat lamps and candles blazing it wasn't chilly at all and the trees surrounding us on all sides kept any stray wind away. We sat at a table with some of Bella's friends from school and I noticed one girl staring at Seth like she was a lion and he was a tasty steak. When I pointed this out to him, he blushed so furiously that his toes must have turned red and I laughed until there were tears in my eyes.

"Hi Seth!" One of Bella's bridesmaids seemed to appear out of nowhere. She was tiny and pale with brown hair cut short and when Seth saw her he jumped up and gave her such a fierce hug that I thought her tiny bones would have snapped. When he finally released her she turned to me and stuck out her hand. "I'm Alice, Edward's sister. You must be Anni! I've heard so much about you. You're just as pretty as I thought you would be."

I was a little flustered seeing as how I had heard nothing about her except for the fact that she was apparently dangerous which I found really hard to believe. "It's nice to meet you. Your family threw a beautiful wedding. The decorations and the flowers are amazing."

She beamed with pride, "Thanks! At least somebody appreciates my handiwork. Edward and Bella are so wrapped up in each other, I don't think they even see it." Suddenly her face went blank and she seemed to have drifted off to another planet. She started whispering to herself and it was so low that the only words I could make out were 'disappear in the trees.'

Seth's eyes clouded with concern and he touched her arm, "Alice, is everything okay?"

She snapped out of it and the big smile returned to her face but it seemed a bit forced this time. "Everything's great! I'm so glad you two could make it. I have to go check on something." We watched her dance her way over to Edward and Bella and the three of them put their heads together and whispered quietly to each other before leaving the tent.

Beside me, Seth tensed up and turned to face the woods far behind the tent in the same direction the Cullens were going. "Oh no… Anni, I'll be back okay. Stay in the tent, please?"

I tried to watch him as he left the tent but my attention was caught by a blonde man who was in his mid-30's and standing directly in front of me, blocking my view. "Hello Anni. You don't remember me but I'm Dr. Cullen. Jacob brought you to me when you hit your head."

I stopped trying to see around him and managed to reply, "Thank you for taking care of me, Dr. Cullen. I do remember you though. Your hands were like ice."

His laughter sounded like bells and filled the space around me and I couldn't help but laugh with him. "That wouldn't be the first time I've heard that. I'm glad you're feeling better," he said. "Have you met my wife, Esme?"

A stunning brunette woman appeared at his side. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Annika," she said, giving me the warmest smile I'd ever seen. I quickly returned the sentiment but couldn't stop wondering what was going on with Seth while we made small talk.

"Oh, it looks like someone would like a dance." Dr. Cullen said, pulling gently on Esme's hand and the two of them drifted back into the crowd. I had thought they meant themselves at first but they were immediately replaced by a boy named Mike who had been sitting at our table and I realized he was the one that wanted the dance. I easily agreed seeing as how the dance floor was on the side of the tent where everybody had disappeared to and I might get a better view of what was going on.

As he led me out to the floor, I felt the tingly feeling I sometimes got when Jacob was around and knew that he was here and he was what had caused Seth's "uh oh". Had he come to stop the wedding? He was a little late for that.

Mike obviously didn't know how to dance and it was easy for me to lead us closer to the edge so I could see the figures by the trees. I didn't know whether to breathe a sigh of relief or cry when I saw that Jacob was hugging Bella and not tearing off Edward's arms to beat him with. Seeing the three of them together, I decided that this Bella girl must be crazy. Sure, Edward was decent to look at and he had money but Jacob was… Jacob. I briefly remembered our heated kisses and couldn't believe that Bella was pushing away with both hands what I so badly craved. Lucky for me, she was an idiot.

I saw Edward's head snap up and turn in my direction and then he moved closer to Jacob, obviously telling him something that caused Jacob to look up at me briefly. Everything happened so quickly then: Edward pushed Bella behind him and Alice and Seth were pushing against Jacob and trying to get him back in the woods. I could hear him yelling, "Shut up you fucking leech! Don't you talk about her! You don't know anything about that… And you, Seth, why don't you make yourself useful and go take care of that mess you let happen over there before I tear that goddamn kid to pieces." But Seth wasn't letting go and Jacob quit trying to push against him, looking defeated. "Fine, I'm leaving but you two remember what will happen if you violate the treaty. I won't lift a finger to help you because Bella, as far as I'm concerned, you will be dead to me." His last words were spat out with such animosity that I almost shrank from them even though I was so far away. Mike and I had completely quit dancing but he still had his arm around my waist as we stood at the edge of the tent watching the scene that nobody else even seemed aware of. Jacob looked up at me one more time and then down to where Mike's arm was. He started to shake and I thought he was going to lose it again so I pushed Mike away from me and lifted up my arm toward him like I hoped he would come take my hand. For an instant it looked like he might, he even took one small step toward me but instead he shoved away from Seth and took off into the woods.

The small group was on their way back to the party when Jacob's howls began. Close at first but quickly receding toward the mountains. Many of the partygoers stopped their dancing and conversations but Bella's blonde-haired bridesmaid made the DJ turn up the music and everything quickly returned to normal.

Mike had disappeared and I was by myself when Seth, Alice, Bella, and Edward got to me. To my shock, Edward took my hands in his freezing cold ones. "Annika, I'm sorry but he's going to run away again."

I was completely confused, "What? Run where? For how long?"

His eyes were filled with sympathy, "Even he doesn't know… but he'll be back."

I shook my head in disbelief at the strange turn of events and that this guy I'd never met before was trying to comfort me like we were the oldest of friends, "How can you be so sure?"

"I can't tell you that but I know how he feels and once he clears his head, he'll come back to you. Don't lose hope." Edward's honey-colored eyes glowed warmly while he talked, in direct contrast with his cold hands.

Bella gave me an apologetic look and I briefly felt the urge to punch her in the face for breaking Jacob's heart so completely that there was nothing left for me. As if he could read my mind, Edward quickly took Bella's hand and they and Alice walked off.

It was just Seth and I left. I looked up at the person who had become one of my closest friends in this place and felt my eyes brim with tears and I didn't care if he saw them. He sighed and took my hand, "Come on, I can't wait to get out of this stupid suit. Let's go."

* * *

**A/N: I'm sorry! Am I going to have to duck rotten fruit for this? Lol. **

**Thanks for the amazing reviews! I can't believe this story has passed 50 of them. I, honestly, never expected 1 review and now Change of Plans is on it's way to 100! I'm blown away. I'm thinking about trying my hand at some outtakes from Jacob's POV but I'm not sure if I can write in his voice and it may make updates for CoP take a little longer. What do you think?**


	17. Chapter 17

I woke up the next morning to an earthquake. Adrenalin started pumping and my eyes flew open only to find Seth jumping as lightly on my bed as a 6' tall wolf-boy could. I glanced over at my alarm clock and groaned loudly before taking my pillow and pulling it over my face.

Seth snatched it away, "Wake up!"

I gave him my best glare; "It's 6 in the morning on Sunday. I don't want to wake up… and would you quit bouncing on my bed? I'm going to puke all over your feet. How did you get in here anyways?"

Seth's gave a final push off the bed and landed with a THUD on the floor. "Embry let me in. I know it's early but I couldn't wait anymore. Besides, you'll be glad I woke you up for this."

"That's doubtful," I grumbled. "Couldn't you have at least been a good rooster and brought me some coffee with your wake up call?"

"Oh! I did!" Seth sprinted from the room and returned with a still-steaming cup of coffee from the diner. "Compliments of Leah."

"Thanks," I said, inhaling the sweet aroma and finding my first reason to smile since I watched Jacob run away last night. My heart lurched at the thought of him, eradicating the smile from my face and I quickly turned to Seth for distraction, "Ok, I'm awake and curious now. Why will I be so glad you woke me up at the ass crack of dawn?"

"Sam caught Jake in the mountains last night as he was leaving and they had it out. Sam is pissed that Jake is leaving his responsibilities to the pack and La Push again and he told him to not bother coming back unless he grew up, got over Bella, and was ready to do the right thing."

This was obviously not good news and I was confused, "And why, exactly, did I want to hear that?"

Seth started bouncing around on the balls of his feet again, "Because Sam was so pissed he lifted the secrecy ban that Jake asked him to put on you. I come bearing knowledge, milady," he said the last line in an English accent, giving me his best courtly bow.

I giggled at his antics and sat up straighter, "You mean you can tell me some stuff?"

"No," I slumped again and Seth's eyes twinkled, "I mean, I can tell you _everything_."

We shared a smile and I tucked my long, bed-head hair behind my ears with my free hand in a dramatic gesture, "Ok, I'm ready. Tell me everything."

Seth locked his arms behind his back and began pacing with a concentrated look on his face, "Well, now I don't know where to start."

"Hmm, how about starting with why you're all wolves?" I suggested, taking another sip of my coffee.

"Right… I'm sure Billy could tell you a whole let better than me but I'll give you the cliff's notes version: A generation has the ability to turn into wolves when the mortal enemy of our tribe comes into the area. The last time it happened was with our great-grandfathers but the gene passes down through families until it's needed again."

"Ok… so who's your mortal enemy?" I asked.

"Vampires," he said, watching my reaction.

I sat for a moment, absorbing the word and I felt pieces of the puzzle come crashing into my head. "Oh! That's why they call you leech lover! It's the Cullens isn't it?" I asked, remembering their pale faces. He nodded and then I couldn't stop the questions from flowing as soon as they entered my head, "Oh my God, Seth! You took me to a vampire wedding! That's why Jake didn't want to me go because they were dangerous. Why are you friends with vampires? Why did Bella Swan marry a vampire? Does she know? Of course she knows… Oh! That's why Jacob said he didn't want them to turn her into a dead thing." I took a much needed break from my rambling to give a horrified gasp, "Are they going to kill her, Seth?"

Seth shrugged, "She's hoping. She wants to be one of them."

I wrinkled my nose in disgust, "She's crazier than I thought."

Seth shrugged again, "She just wants to be with Edward. I guess you can't help who you love, right?"

My thoughts immediately turned to Jacob and I understood, "Yeah, you're right." And then I remembered something else that made me completely sick to my stomach. "That barefoot man in the clearing that I saw when I was drawing…?"

"Yeah," Seth said, looking slightly sick himself. "I don't know how that one slipped in. We never did find where he breached our territory but you were really lucky that Jacob had started stalking you already because without him, you would have been toast."

I shivered at the thought of my almost-fate. "So, if the Cullens are your mortal enemies, why do you allow them to live here?"

"Well, vampires in general are our enemies but the Cullens are different. They made a treaty with our great-grandfathers that said they could live in peace here if they stay off our land and don't kill people. They're kind of… vegetarians."

I suddenly remembered a book that one of my nannies had read to me when I was little about a pet bunny that was a vampire and at night it would sneak into the kitchen and suck the life out of vegetables, effectively turning them white. The family who owned him couldn't figure out what was going on with their produce. I began to laugh so hard that tears ran down my cheeks as I imagined the Cullens, this beautiful family of vampires, sitting around the kitchen table sucking the color out of vegetables. In my vision their mouths were dripping red but not with blood, with tomato juice.

Seth's eyebrows furrowed, "Oh no… I told you too much, too fast and broke you, didn't I? Sam told me to let Billy do this but I was too excited and I thought you could handle it."

I shook my head through my laughter, "No, I'm fine."

I told him about the vampire bunny and he smiled brightly, "Bunnicula! I read that too, I just forgot about it." He chuckled with me. "No, they're not that kind of vegetarian. They still drink blood, just not human blood. They keep it to the wild animal variety. There's another thing about us that you don't know… when we're in wolf form we can see into each other's minds, read each other's thoughts. It's how we communicate with each other. It's great when we we're hunting but it's not so great for our personal lives. We can't keep anything secret at all and of course, you always think of the most embarrassing, personal stuff simply because you don't want to. It's a pretty crappy deal for the girlfriends."

Seth watched me as that sunk in. I began to remember all of the moments between Jake and I that I thought had been private: the first kiss on the cliff, the make-out session on his kitchen counter where he actually tore my sweater and lastly, our hot and heavy minutes on my couch. They had all been on display for Seth, the pack, and worst of all, my own brother. I could feel my skin getting hot and knew I was turning a very deep shade of red. "You saw all that…?" I asked, weakly.

For his part, Seth also looked embarrassed, "Yeah, but it's okay. I've seen a lot worse of Sam and Emily. Heck, I've even seen a lot worse of Sam and Leah. Now that was…" he shivered like he was completely grossed out.

"Sam and Leah?" I asked, forgetting my own embarrassment for the moment.

"Oh yeah, Leah, didn't want me to talk about this because you're the only one that doesn't look at her with pity but I think you should know. It might help you understand imprinting a little more and why Jake hates it so much."

"Ok…" I didn't like the idea of knowing things that Leah didn't want me to but I so badly wanted to know more about imprinting and I didn't think I could ever look at my friend with pity, I respected her too much.

"Well, Sam and Leah were together for.... ever. Middle school, high school, after… they were inseparable and everybody knew they were going to get married some day."

I could see where this was going, "And then Sam became a wolf and imprinted on Emily."

"Yeah, but to make it worse Emily is our cousin and she and Leah were like sisters." I groaned. What a horrible situation. Seth continued, "Leah wasn't always so cold and bitchy. She used to be this person who was always so happy, dreaming big dreams with Sam and now…" Seth shook his head, sadly. "There was a chance she would have gotten over Sam if she could have just gotten away, taken her good grades and gone to college somewhere but when she had to watch Emily and Sam be together in her mind after she became a wolf-"

I cut him off, "Leah's a wolf?" I was shocked, unable to wrap my head around little Leah as a big, bad wolf.

Seth laughed, "You didn't know? We all thought you did. How could you not?"

He was right… how could I not? The signs had all been there: Leah not wearing a jacket to the bonfire, balancing huge stacks of diner plates in her arms like they were feathers, hearing my nightmare screams from down the street. Of course they had all thought I knew. Only the most unobservant person in the world wouldn't have noticed. I guess that was me… so wrapped up in thinking about Jacob that I hadn't realized how much Leah was hurting. "I'm such an idiot," I said, hanging my head in shame at what a bad friend I'd been.

Seth quit his pacing and sat on my bed, taking my hands in his. "Don't be so hard on yourself. It's not like we told you anything, you had to figure it all out for yourself. I think everybody was just so amazed at how far you got on your own that we all just assumed you'd figured Leah out too, even Leah," he laughed.

"So if Leah is one of the pack, how come Jake doesn't like her?" I asked.

"It's not that Jake doesn't like Leah, it's just a really difficult situation for all of us to be in. It's hard to listen to someone be so angry and bitter in your head all the time. Leah's my own sister and I love her to death but even I find it hard to be around her in wolf form. We all understand why she is the way she is and we know she can't help it but at the same time we feel what she feels and it's hard to not be bitter and angry right back. She's been better though, since you got here. She pushed everybody away when everything went down. Emily had been her best friend their entire lives and now they barely say two words to one another and she completely ignores any of her old friends from high school. She's been really lonely for a long time and it's been good for her, for all of us, that she's been talking to you."

I contemplated this and the way Seth's hands felt. Warm and safe, just like Jacob's but without the sparks of electricity flowing between our skin. I sighed, "So Sam never tried to fight the imprint like Jacob is?"

Seth shook his head, "No, he didn't even know what it was. It completely blindsided him and it hurt him a lot to let Leah go but as soon as he saw Emily, it was over for him. None of the other guys who have imprinted were romantically linked to someone else at the time so they just gave in too but Jake… Jake's loved Bella since they were little kids and when she moved back here to live with her Dad he believed they would be together but then Edward stepped in and he's been fighting for her ever since. Two years of fighting for Bella Swan's love and he doesn't know any other way. He's seen the destruction that imprinting has brought to Sam and Leah and he'd already decided a long time ago that it wasn't going to get in the way of him being with Bella."

I gulped, "And then I showed up…"

"Yes, Bella picked Edward and then you showed up and Jake had underestimated the power of the imprint and it wasn't as easy to fight off as he thought it would be. He didn't know what to feel but the more he knew about you, the more impossible it became to stay away. He was wavering… right before Bella's wedding he was wavering but actually seeing her go through with it and knowing that Edward was going to change her really shook him up and he just… left. I saw it all through Sam's mind last night."

My heart was breaking for Jacob as it was also breaking for Sam and Leah and Emily. I could see now why imprinting was so horrific to Jacob and it was silly but all I wanted to do now was comfort him even though he'd left. "So imprinting is like… soul mates?"

"Yeah, I guess you could call it that but it's so much stronger. I've seen how it feels through their minds and it's like she becomes your sun and you have to revolve around her."

"Well, Jacob certainly doesn't feel that way. His world revolves around Bella." I picked at the edge of my coffee lid, snapping the plastic in frustration.

Seth frowned. "No, I've seen how Jake feels about you. He'd move Heaven and Earth to protect you. He shredded that vampire until we could barely find the pieces to burn. I've never seen him act like that. Not even after Bella kissed him and he was fighting for her."

"Bella kissed Jacob?" Ouch, that's hurts. I'd always thought of their relationship as completely unrequited. I hadn't considered that Bella had been leading him on and playing mind games. No wonder Jacob was so messed up over her.

"Yeah, but even when he thought he finally had a chance with her, he was still having fun with killing the vampires we were fighting. It was still a game to him, that's why he got hurt. When he thought that vampire in the woods was going to get you, it wasn't a game anymore. He was just enraged to the point where he couldn't see anything but it and he couldn't allow it to live. It was intense. He loves you Anni." I gave him a doubtful look. "No, he really does. Don't confuse him trying to hang on to Bella as indifference for you. She's just had his heart for so long, even as a wolf, that he's having a difficult time giving her up."

I closed my eyes, trying to process his words, "He'll be back right? Edward told me he'd be back."

"Honestly, I can't tell you that for sure." At his words, I felt my heart sink lower than it had ever been. "When he left the wedding, he thought he'd be back. He just needed some time to clear his head but after the fight with Sam and Sam ordering him to not come back until he was done with Bella… he wasn't so sure. He doesn't think he'll ever stop wanting to be with Bella, even if he can't help loving you too. The rest of the pack doesn't think so, though. Sam wouldn't have given him that ultimatum if he didn't think he'd choose you in the end. It's just really messed up."

"Tell me about it," I said, mentally cursing Sam for interfering in Jacob's plans, even if it was for the best. I didn't think I could handle watching Jacob pine away for Bella for the rest of our lives when all I would want was to be with him. We sat in silence for a moment and I decided to bring up something I hoped would be a little lighter, "So how did Edward know that Jacob would be back?"

"Some vampires have special abilities… Alice can see the future except when it comes to us. She saw Bella and Edward walk towards the forest and disappear by the trees and figured out Jacob was coming even if she couldn't see him there. Edward can read minds. Every mind but Bella's for some reason."

I snorted out a laugh.

"What?" Seth asked, noticing my amusement.

"I thought about punching Bella in her stupid face last night for making Jake run away. That's when Edward got all protective and pulled her away from us."

Seth started laughing. "You should have thought about punching Edward. He was the one that saw your feelings for each other through your minds and he just had to go and mock Jake with them.

"What did he say?" I couldn't help but ask.

"He told Jake that he better go dance with his imprint before Mike Newton stole you away. Edward is a pretty good guy but when it comes to Jake, he can't help but get his jabs in here and there which is pretty crappy considering he got the girl. He was pretty ticked that Jake had the balls to show up last night." Another long pause and then, "Anything else you want to know right now? My entire brain is at your disposal, feel free to pick away."

I shook my head, "I think that's about all I can take for right now. You were right, I am glad you woke me up for that. Let me make you some breakfast."

Seth smiled and pulled me in for a hug, "No problem, Goldilocks. I can't stay though. I'm supposed to be on patrol right now." He released me and I instantly missed the warmth.

"Bye Seth," I said, glumly as he headed for the door.

"Bye Anni. Don't stay in bed all day, okay? Nobody wants you to drown in your sorrows. Your part of the pack now. We're family and we're all here for you. Leah's working until two today. You should stop in and say hi."

I nodded but he was already gone.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for all the incredible reviews! To all the people that review practically every chapter: you guys are really great. I'm so glad you like it. Just in case anybody's wondering, this story isn't just about wether Jacob and Anni get together or not, there's other stuff I plan on dealing with too so it won't be like 'Jake comes back, him and Anni get together, they live happily ever after, boom, done,' it will be more than that. Also, I decided against letting Jacob's POV wreck the pace I have with CoP, thank you so much for you input. I might still do it but I won't worry about the when for now. I'd say I'd do it in my free time but with a husband, two kids, and a job, CoP is being written on time I don't have. Sigh. I know this chapter wasn't as interesting since Jacob's gone but please don't forget to click the review button anyways. :) I hope you all are having a great week. Can you believe it's almost February? Crazy.**


	18. Chapter 18

I stayed in bed for much of the morning contemplating the unique situation I'd found myself in. It was tempting to just let myself wallow in the loss of Jacob but I wasn't that kind of girl and I'd promised Seth I wouldn't. Around ten in the morning I rolled myself out of bed and took the longest shower I'd ever taken, letting the water roll off my body until the heat relaxed the tension in my neck and limbs. I dressed in jeans and a long sleeve shirt, pulled my wet hair back in a braid to keep it out of my face and went to the diner to see Leah.

She smiled when I sat on the stool and took off my jacket but I could see how her eyes watched my face for any signs that I knew about Sam. I tried to be casual but in the end she narrowed her eyes at me. "You know," she said, flatly. "Goddamn Seth!"

I sighed, "Yeah, but so what? We're both in shitty situations. Wolves, vampires, imprints… it all sucks, some literally, and it's making me cranky. Bring on the chocolate."

Leah gave me a genuine smile and I knew I'd said the right thing and everything was ok between us. "Don't you want some lunch first? Look at this bacon cheeseburger. Oooh," she waved a customer's plate tauntingly under my nose but the look and smell of all that grease held no appeal for my empty stomach.

I shook my head, "No lunch. Just chocolate."

"My kind of girl," Leah laughed as she walked away to deliver the food. When she returned she cut a huge slice of chocolate mousse pie and set it between us with two forks and we immediately dug in. "So how much do you know?" She asked, between bites.

I swallowed, "Just about everything, I think. Unless, you want to add ghosts and zombies to the list of things that actually do go bump in the night."

She shrugged, "Who knows? I've never seen a ghost or a zombie but then again I'd never seen a werewolf until I became one. Not that we're werewolves, per say, but that's the closest description most people would understand."

"Can you guys really see everything in your minds?" I asked.

"Yeah, sucks huh? At least they haven't seen you naked… yet." Leah laughed at my blush. "I, honestly, don't know why I even bother to wear clothes at all anymore since half of La Push has seen me in my birthday suit already."

"Speaking of getting naked… how was your date?" I teased her, while scooping up some stray chocolate and whip cream.

Leah groaned, "Horrible. He was such a douchebag! He kept opening doors and pulling chairs out for me."

"That bastard!" I exclaimed, with fake shock. "You mean you're not looking for a gentleman you can bring home to mama?"

Leah rolled her eyes. "Please… I could lift that boy over my knee and break him in half and he's acting like I don't even have arms. Like I said… douchebag."

I nodded in agreement. I guess if I was as strong as Leah I would find that seriously annoying as well.

I said goodbye to her and headed for the market. I'd made a copy of the Salmon Casserole recipe that Billy said he wanted because I was too scared to bring the actual note card in case it rained so hard that it soaked through my pockets and ruined it. I could never forgive myself if I even got a spot on one of those cards after Billy had so willingly entrusted them into my care.

The recipe called for smoked salmon and I headed for the fish counter and asked the white apron-clad man there about it. He showed me a seran-wrapped fish that was still in its complete form. I'd only ever seen smoked salmon as lox on a bagel in New York and I had no idea what to do with this. I bit my lip and looked at it warily as I took it from his hands.

Noticing my apprehension he said, "I can slice it for you if you'd like."

I breathed a huge sigh of relief and handed it back to him, "Yes, please!"

"Give me a moment." He disappeared back behind the counter with the fish and I began to peruse the nearby racks.

A male voice come from behind me, "Excuse me, are you Annika Call?" I turned around to see a man in his mid-20's holding his own basket. I couldn't help but notice that he was attractive with his long hair and sharp features but it only made me long for Jacob more.

"Uh… it's Annika Sunstrom but yeah, I guess I am."

He smiled widely and held out his hand to shake mine, "It's so nice to meet you. I'm Jimmy Lee. I work for your Dad at the bar and I've heard so much about you."

"Oh, hi Jimmy! I've heard about you too." I failed to mention that what I heard had been Joseph saying that Jimmy didn't know how to mix a drink but I'd always wondered if that was an excuse to not have to leave the bar. After all, why would Joseph keep him there if he was such a crappy bartender?

"I just had to say that I'm so glad you moved here. I've worked for your Dad for almost five years and I've never seen him this…." He struggled to find the right word since he probably knew 'sober' wasn't exactly polite.

I held up my hand to stop him, "I understand. I remember what he looked like the first day I was here."

Jimmy smiled at me, "He's really proud of you."

I gave him a confused look, "I don't know what you mean. Proud of what?"

"Well, some of the teachers at the high school come into the bar for happy hour after work and all the ones that have you in their class tell your Dad how bright you are. Your art teacher even said you have a 'gift from the Gods.'" Jimmy even did the air quotes for the last part. When I frowned at the thought of my teachers talking about me where others could hear it made me uncomfortable but Jimmy took it as unhappiness about what my art teacher had said, "But you know, she's given to dramatics. I had her for a teacher too and she told me that my drawing was the best hot air balloon she'd ever seen. I didn't have the heart to tell her it was supposed to be my mom." I started laughing and he laughed too, "That's better. You're far too pretty to look so unhappy." I stopped laughing and an uncomfortable silence descended. "Anyways…," he went, "Joseph won't shut up about how smart his daughter is. He's telling anyone who will listen that you're going to be an Ivy Leaguer after high school. First in the family to even go to college."

I was stunned, "He says that? He calls me his daughter?"

Jimmy looked confused, "Yeah, of course he does. What else would he call you?" I was taken aback. I mean, he was technically my father and he let me live with him since my mom had passed but I didn't know that he actually thought of me like a daughter, let alone care enough to be proud of my grades. "So, would you want to go out with me some time?" Jimmy asked, catching me off guard and giving me a look that said he expected me to say yes since he'd probably never been turned down in his life. He was that cute and he obviously knew it.

Thankfully, the counter-person returning with my sliced salmon interrupted us and it gave me an excuse to pretend I hadn't heard Jimmy. I thanked the man profusely and he waved it away with embarrassment saying he was just doing his job. I didn't think his job included deterring unwanted advances but he gave me a knowing smile as he left and I couldn't help wondering if he'd picked that moment to interrupt on purpose.

"Well, it was nice talking to you Jimmy but I should finish my shopping," wanting to get away before he could bring up a date again.

"It was really nice to meet you too. Hopefully I'll see you around more often," he said, with a wink.

I struggled to keep down a groan of annoyance and just managed to throw him a tight smile before walking away. I could feel him watching me leave and I quickly turned down the first aisle I came to so I was out of his line of vision. I raced through the store, checking my list frequently to make sure I wasn't forgetting anything and keeping my head down as much as possible, just in case Jimmy happened to still be wandering around.

On the walk home, I carried my reusable bags over one arm and pulled my phone out of my back pocket with the other so I could text Embry.

ME: DON'T 4GET TO PICK UP BILLY TONIGHT.

He must not have been in wolf form because his response came back quickly.

EMBRY: BILLY HAS A RIDE. SAME NUMBER OF PEOPLE 4 DINNER AS USUAL.

My heart leapt into my chest and my fingers flew over the phone's keyboard.

ME: JACOB?

My heart was pounding so fast I might as well have been running home. The reply didn't come as quick as the last one and I could feel myself start to sweat. Come on, come on, come on. Finally, it pinged and I paused to throw a silent prayer into the air before hitting the receive button.

EMBRY: NO. SORRY.

I stopped walking, feeling the disappointment flow through me. I had been stupid to get my hopes up. Of course it wouldn't take less than a day for Jacob to get over Bella… if he ever did…

That was the first time I'd allowed myself to really think he might not come back at all and I felt like I'd been punched in the stomach. Tears filled my eyes and I felt my knees go weak, wanting to sink into the muddy road and just give up. I almost let myself when my phone pinged again, pulling me out of my mini-meltdown. I mentally shook myself. No, I would not lose my shit here in the middle of the street where anybody could walk by and see what an emotional wreck I was becoming. It was only two more blocks to my house and it would be pathetic if I couldn't hold it together long enough to get there. I straightened up and pulled the phone out of my pocket again.

EMBRY: IT'S A LONELY HEARTS CLUB MEETING AT OUR HOUSE TONIGHT.

I had no idea what that meant but I was in no position to worry about that now. I finished walking the last two blocks in record time and threw the two plastic bags into the fridge whether all the items In them needed to be refrigerated or not. I walked to my room, stripping off my boots and jacket as I went, not caring where they landed for the time being. I barely managed to crash into my bed with my face in the pillow before the sobs started ripping through my body. I mentally cursed everybody I could think of from Jacob and Bella to Sam and even my mom for having the gall to die and leave me in this mess. It was irrational and pointless but it made me feel better and eventually the heart wrenching sobs eased and I cried silent tears until I fell asleep.

* * *

I awoke with a start, trying to remember what it was I was supposed to be doing instead of sleeping. It was completely dark in my room, which meant it was at least past 5 already. A glance at my alarm clock told me that it was indeed 5:30. I suddenly remembered the dinner I was suppose to be cooking and with a hissed profanity I jumped out bed and left the room, switching lights on in the house as I went.

"Hey!" someone said as I entered the kitchen, causing me to jump in surprise. Embry was sitting at the small kitchen table, doing something with his phone. When he looked up, he laughed, "You look like shit."

"Thanks, Embry. It's nice to see you too." I rolled my eyes, really not in the mood for his criticism.

"Hey now," he said, putting his hands up apologetically, "I just thought you could use some help with dinner and from the looks of it, I'm right."

"Yeah…" I rubbed my hands on my face, trying to get rid of the last dregs of sleep from my brain. "I could use the help, thanks."

I set him to work making the rice while I pulled together all the other ingredients and after layering all of it into a casserole dish and covering the whole thing in cheese, I popped it in the oven and Embry and I exchanged high fives.

Embry looked at me with approval, "It's nice you're doing this for Billy. It's really hard on him when Jake's not around. Now seriously… go do something about the way you look. I'll set the table."

In my room, I groaned at the first look at myself in the mirror. Embry had been right, I really did look like shit. The first thing I did was change into some unrumpled clothes. I didn't realize until after I had them on that the dark-washed jeans and the black cardigan made me look like I was on the way to a funeral but there wasn't time to change again as I could hear my Dad's truck engine rumbling into the driveway. I tried combing the rat's nests out of my hair and upon realizing that it was a lost cause, I pulled all of it into a pony tail. Lastly, I dabbed some cover-up on the dark circles under my eyes and applied some mascara to make me look like I hadn't been crying/asleep all afternoon.

I came out of my room just in time to see Joseph walk through the front door. He looked up at me as I entered the room and I took a deep breath.

"Hi Dad," I said, trying the word out and instantly becoming anxious for his reaction.

Joseph's eyes widened in surprise and then became soft like he was seeing me for the first time, "Hello Daughter. You look nice tonight."

We shared big grins and then I saw something through the window in the front door that made me gasp. A large police SUV was pulling into our driveway behind Joseph's truck. Instantly, my mind started racing. Had someone been hurt? Was it Jacob? Another member of the pack?

Joseph turned around to see what was causing me such distress, "Oh! Looks like Charlie's the special guest tonight."

"Charlie?" I asked, weakly.

"Charlie Swan, he's the police chief up in Forks and Billy's best friend."

I narrowed my eyes into slits trying to get a better view of the man lowering Billy's wheel chair out of the large vehicle. "Charlie Swan? As in Bella Swan's father?" I had seen him walk Bella down the aisle at the wedding but we hadn't been introduced.

"Yep, the same one. He use to come down here for dinner at the bar with Billy all the time until his daughter came to live with him a few years ago. Now that she's married off, he must be a lonely man again." That must have been what Embry had meant about the Lonely Hearts Club meeting tonight. Joseph gave my shoulder a squeeze, "Food smells great, Anni." He went farther into the living to turn on the TV and find a sporting event to be the appropriate background noise for dinner.

I opened the door for Charlie and Billy and put on my best hostess smile.

"Hello Anni," Billy said, rolling through the door with Charlie right behind him. "I hope you don't mind me inviting Charlie for dinner tonight. You know, Bella got married and this poor man can't boil water."

"No, of course not!" I reached over to take the officer's hand, "It's really nice to meet you Charlie."

"It's nice to meet you too, Anni." He sniffed the air, "Is that Sarah's famous salmon bake I smell?"

Billy smelled the house too and nodded, "Sure is. I think my Sarah might be pulling some strings in Heaven," he said, winking at me and making me blush at his compliments.

"Come on in here, Charlie! I've got the USC game on," Joseph said.

Charlie went to join him in the living room and they shook hands in greeting. "I haven't seen you in ages, old man."

I turned to Billy and he patted my arm, "Thanks for making the casserole. Just the smell brings back good memories."

"I thought you could use a pick-me-up. I'm so sorry Jacob left again, Billy."

He shook his head fiercely, "That is not your fault, Anni, and I won't have you going around thinking it is. My son is charge of his own fate, whether he believes that or not and leaving was an extremely poor decision that he made all on his own. You understand?"

He was looking at me sternly and I nodded. I knew he was trying to make me feel better but I didn't. Embry called out from kitchen, "Anni! You might want to come take a look at this. The cheese is all… weird..."

I excused myself and rushed to the kitchen but one look at the casserole and the way the cheese was bubbling and turning slightly brown at the edges and I knew it was perfect.

Dinner was great and I was surprised at how much I liked the meal. Sarah Black had definitely been a good cook. I had thought it would be weird to sit and have a meal with Bella's father but I ended up liking him a lot. I think his relaxed behavior and hilarious dialogue was just what Billy and I needed and I invited him to come have dinner with us every Sunday, which he accepted. It was starting to feel like 'the more, the merrier' in my life and I really liked it. I just wished that Jacob was still one of the 'the more' so that I could be one of 'the merrier.'

Since we were minus one wolf, there ended up being enough leftovers that I could package up for Billy to take home and as I was hugging him goodbye he whispered just loud enough for only me to hear, "You know, you gained more than one father when you showed up in La Push. Come over any time."

* * *

Having taken that long nap, I stayed up late sitting in the dark at the kitchen table watching out the window and hoping for a certain russet wolf to walk slowly out of the trees but, of course, that didn't happen no matter how many times I imagined it in my head. My heart felt like it was split in half: the part that belonged to my family and friends was filled with love and joy but the other part had gone with Jacob to wherever he was now, leaving a cold void deep in my chest.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews and yes, Bunnicula is a real book! :) Hello to the new readers who put CoP on Alert. Sorry there was still no Jacob in this chapter but hang in there, I promise that he is coming back. -AJ**


	19. Chapter 19

I repeatedly poked the meatloaf on my plate, amazed at the way it immediately bounced back like I'd never put holes in it at all. No matter what I did to it, it seemed to be regenerating itself. I gave an extra ferocious mash with the flat side of my plastic fork and watched wide-eyed as it returned to its' original shape. I went for it again but Seth's large hand came out and stilled mine.

"Ok, seriously, An… I think it's dead."

I cast a wary glance at the sketchy meat-substance on the plate, "I don't think any part of this was ever alive to begin with."

He let go of my hand, "True. Commence stabbing torture. Maybe it will give up its secrets and tell us what it really is. My money is on soy and sawdust."

"Why didn't you just get a salad? You might have eaten that," Kim asked, looking up from her own salad.

I shrugged. The truth was I probably wouldn't have eaten anything I got from the lunch line. I never thought I would be one of those girls that fell apart just because I'd been dumped but I'd never taken into account how unappetizing food would suddenly become or that the part of me that had gone cold when Jacob had left would feel so all consuming at night that sleep would become all but impossible. It had been a month and a half since Bella's wedding and nobody had heard anything from him. Every time I had seen Seth I would ask him if he'd heard from Jacob yet and for the first few weeks he always gave the same answer: he's either somewhere in human form or he's so far away that they couldn't communicate and I'd be the first to know if that changed at all. Now all I had to do to ask was lift my eyebrows questioningly and all Seth had to do to answer was shake his head apologetically.

Kim reached her hand out and touched my arm. Her eyes were gentle and worried and I couldn't help but look away, ashamed at how pathetic I know I must look. "Seth and I have been talking and we don't think this is just normal grief you're feeling. We think it's the imprint that's causing this."

I gave her a 'duh' look, "Yeah, Kim, I think everybody's aware that that's the problem."

Seth leaned across the table, "What Kim means is that we think that you and Jacob aren't suppose to be apart like this and that you can't help the way you're feeling right now. I'm willing to bet Jake feels the same way," Seth said in an attempt to make me feel better. It didn't.

"Well, that makes sense but what am I suppose to do about it? It doesn't seem to be making him want to come back." I pushed the nauseating meatloaf out of my line of sight and gave all my attention to my friends. It did make sense. I had never felt anything like this even when my own mother had died. In six weeks I'd gone from healthy and vibrant to incredibly skinny with dark circles under my eyes. My skin was more pale than usual and my hair hung limply down my back. It was like my body was trying to retreat in on itself and every day was a struggle to not let that happen. Forcing down bites of food here and there, swallowing my second round of Unisom tablets at 3 in the morning just to get an hour or two of sleep, and forcing myself to stay in the conversations my friends were having when I really just wanted to sit there and stare blankly at the world.

"We don't know that because we can't hear him but he knows he can't come back because Sam still has the Bella Ban in place. Even if he felt as miserable as you are, he can't return to the rez until he pushes his feelings for Bella aside," Seth told me.

Kim cleared her throat; "We think you should go talk to Sam." I laughed. Honestly, Sam had never been anything but nice but I couldn't help being more than a little intimated by him and the thought of going to him for a favor wasn't appealing. Kim continued, "He put the ban in place for the good of you and Jake. I think he would take it back for the same reason."

I turned to Seth, "Couldn't you just tell him what's going on?"

He shook his head; "I think it would mean more coming from the walking skeleton than from me. You really look like crap, Goldilocks."

"Thanks for your encouragement, Seth." I mumbled.

Kim patted my arm and gave me a big smile, "Meanwhile, I'm going to make you a cake! Who can resist cake right? I'm calling it Operation Fatten Up Anni!"

* * *

I decided to take their advice and after school I walked toward Sam and Emily's house instead of my own. They lived on the other side of town, which meant I had to walk directly through downtown to get there. Leah waved from inside the diner as I walked by and I briefly thought about going in for a cup of coffee since it seemed to be the only thing that still tasted the same but decided against it since I didn't really feel like talking.

"Anni!" A male voice called out my name from down the street. I groaned when I realized it was Jimmy who was outside the bar having a cigarette break and I had no choice but to walk directly towards him. On the upside. maybe my dramatic change in appearance would put him off. "Hey, how's it going?' he said, as I drew closer. He was leaning against the brick wall in a tough guy pose with his arms crossed and his cigarette hanging out of his mouth. He probably thought he looked incredibly sexy but I had to physically restrain myself from wrinkling my nose when the smoke wafted in my direction.

"Hi Jimmy," I said, unenthusiastically though he didn't seem to notice.

"Coming to visit your Dad?" He asked, standing up straighter and taking a step toward me causing me to take an equal step backward.

"No, just on the way to visit a friend."

"Oh. A boyfriend?" Jimmy asked, furrowing his eyebrows in obvious displeasure.

"No, just a friend."

Jimmy smiled and took another step closer. Damn, I should've lied. "I'm on break, I can walk you there," he said, hopefully.

Once again I was saved from Jimmy's unwelcome advances by an interruption as my phone started ringing. I grabbed it out of my pocket and saw a Manhattan phone number I didn't recognize. "Excuse me, I have to take this. Bye Jimmy."

He huffed and took up his former position of holding up the wall and I quickly turned and began walking away while flipping my phone open to answer it, "Hello?"

"Annika Sunstrom?" It was a male voice I recognized but couldn't immediately place.

"Yes, this is her," I answered.

"Good, I'm glad you haven't changed your number. This is Officer Barrett from the NYPD. Do you remember me?"

I immediately tensed up, "Yes, it would be kind of hard to forget you, officer."

He sighed, "I suppose it would. Unfortunately, I'm calling with more bad news."

"Oh no! It's not Ananda is it?" I asked, beginning to panic.

"No, no. This is about your mother," he quickly reassured me.

I relaxed. How bad could it be? She was already dead after all. "Ok…"

"Well, I've been working with the Hamburg police during the ongoing investigation into her death." I was shocked. I hadn't realized there'd been an investigation, let alone an ongoing one. "It turns out that you were right. Your mother wasn't driving the crashed car that she was found in."

I had been walking slowly toward Sam and Emily's house but now I stopped at the edge of the sidewalk right before downtown turned back into forest. I sank to the curb as I tried to process what Officer Barrett was telling me. "How do they know?"

"Forensics has been meticulously recreating the crash. Your mother's injuries and final position in the car are inconsistent with the state of the vehicle."

"Are you saying she was murdered and then put in the car to make it look like an accident?"

There was a pause where he was obviously trying to decide how much to tell me. "Yes, we believe so."

I shook my head in disbelief. Who would want to murder my mother, let alone go to such extremes for it? Sure, she was flighty, self-centered, and a complete lush but overall she was about as harmless as a kitten. "So how did they get the car to crash? Wouldn't there be another dead body or something? You told me that nobody could have been in that accident and still be alive."

"No, they couldn't have and we're still working on all that. I'm going to Hamburg tomorrow to help out. I thought you should know all this but I was also calling to ask you something…"

"What?"

"Do you know if your mother was involved with anything or anyone… unsavory?"

I snorted, "You mean like the mob?"

"Well, that or anyone else you ever thought of as suspicious. Was she acting at all unusual the last time you saw her?"

I tried to remember the last time I'd seen my mother. I'd been heading to bed around 11 at night and she'd stumbled in after a few rounds of margaritas with some friends. Nothing unusual there. She'd come to say goodbye to me because she was leaving for Italy in a few hours. Italy… "Oh! She told me she was going to Italy, not Germany. I don't know how she ended up in Hamburg. She always called me when she switched hotels so I always knew where to reach her but she never even told me she was leaving the country."

"Thank you Annika. Do you remember anything else?" He asked.

I searched my brain for any other clues he might find helpful and eventually shook my head before remembering he couldn't see me through the phone, "No, that's all I have. I'm sorry."

"That's quite alright. The number I called you from is my personal cell phone. Please save it in case you think of anything else. I'll call you from Germany as soon as we find anything else out."

"Thank you, Officer Barrett."

When we hung up, I immediately saved his cell phone number into my phone like he'd requested.

* * *

My head was buzzing with so many thoughts that my feet had to find their own way to Sam and Emily's little house tucked away into the woods. I was surprised to find myself standing on the porch and knocking on the door without any recollection of having walked there after hanging up the phone with Officer Barrett. Emily answered, wiping her hands on an apron tied around her waist. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail to reveal the full extent of her scar and her dark blue t-shirt was smudged with flour. "Hi Anni!" she grabbed my hand and pulled me through the front door. I followed her back into the cozy kitchen where a fire in the pellet stove in the corner heated the room and the smell of freshly baked things filled the air. She sat me down in a chair while she pulled a batch of cookies out of the oven. "Are you okay? You look like your cat just died."

"Ummm…" I didn't quite know how to respond so I examined the centerpiece of freshly picked wildflowers on top of her wooden table instead. The way they were arranged so lovingly in a little blue glass vase made me sure that Sam had brought them to her and I felt jealous of their perfect relationship.

"Oh no! Did your cat actually die?" Emily looked horrified that she might have said something insensitive.

I laughed, "No, I don't even have a cat. I just got an interesting phone call on my way over here but it's nothing."

She looked relieved, "Well, in that case Kim texted me that you were going to come over here and that I was suppose to give you some of these." She used a spatula to put a few of the warm cookies onto a plate and set them in front of me. "Something about Operation Make You Fat or something like that," Emily paused to scrutinize me, "And I can see why. Have you been eating at all?" She pushed the plate closer towards me and I obligingly took one of the cookies pausing for only a split-second before biting in. It tasted like I was trying to chew a wad of paper but I eventually swallowed the bite. She watched my reaction with a concerned look and picked the cookie up to try it herself and see what was wrong with it. "They taste fine to me but maybe a pinch more salt would make them better," she shrugged.

I shook my head, "No, Emily. I'm sure they're great… just not to me. That's why I'm here. Is Sam around?"

"No, he's at work but I think you should tell me what's going on. I can tell Sam later if you want me to."

I felt relief at not having to explain my embarrassing form of love sickness to Sam and immediately agreed. "There's something seriously wrong with me! This cookie… it tastes like dirt but only to me. Everything tastes like dirt and I can't eat. I'm not even hungry and seeing as how I've had maybe three bites of food since yesterday I should be hungry." Emily nodded and motioned for me to continue. "I also can't sleep. I'm lucky to get maybe two hours at night. I go to bed but I just lie there and think about him and it makes it impossible to fall asleep. I feel like I'm disappearing and I can't stop it…"

"You think about Jacob? This has all happened since he left?" Her brow was creased in concern as she took in my words.

I nodded, feeling pathetic once again. "I don't want to be this way. I want to eat and sleep and be fine with the fact that he's gone but it's impossible. Kim and Seth think it has to do with the imprint and that this is how my body reacts to Jacob and I being apart."

Emily looked thoughtful, "I would have to agree. I've never been apart from Sam for longer than a day but I imagine I would feel much the same if he just up and took off for weeks. Do you want me to talk Sam into getting the Pack to track him down?"

"No!" I immediately rejected that offer. Jacob was trying to run from the imprint and if they had to drag him back here because of it just so I could eat a cookie… I couldn't even begin to imagine how much he would hate me then.

"Ok then… What are you thinking Miss Anni? I can see those wheels turning," she rubbed my cheek affectionately and it so reminded me of Ananda that I had to struggle to hold myself together to keep from bursting into tears and begging her to hold me like a child. Emily was going to be a great mother one day.

I took a deep breath to clear my head and hoped my voice wouldn't waver when I spoke, "What if Jacob is out there feeling the same way but can't come home because he still loves Bella?"

Emily immediately understood, "You want Sam to lift the ban so Jake can come home whenever he wants to?"

"Yes," I breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that I didn't have to explain it.

"Alright. I'll ask him when he gets home. Meanwhile, you look like you're about to drop." She took my hand and led me into the living room where another fire roared in the fireplace. "I want you to lay down on the couch and try to take a nap."

"But-"

"Nope, no buts. Do it for me. Please?" Emily gave me her puppy dog eyes that I couldn't say no to and I slipped off my shoes and laid down on the couch while she covered me in a warm woolen blanket before disappearing into the kitchen.

I lay there for a while feeling the comforting heat of the fire and listening to Emily chopping up vegetables for dinner while she hummed softly in the kitchen. I felt so much better now. I knew Sam would never deny Emily anything and of course, he would lift the ban if she asked him to. Maybe Jacob would come home right away. I felt the heavy tension leave my shoulders and immediately fell asleep.

* * *

I woke up to a pair of eyes looking right into mine and jumped about a foot off the couch.

"She's up!" Embry called out. He was sitting on an ottoman only a few feet away and was dunking a crusty piece of French bread into a bowl of what smelled like beef stew. "You make hilarious faces when you're sleeping. I should record it and put it up on Youtube."

"You do and I won't make the chili nachos you requested for the Super Bowl party," I said, sitting up and trying to crack my neck. It felt all stiff from sleeping on Emily's couch.

Embry made a pouty face, "I'm hurt you don't remember…. Quil asked for the chili nachos. I wanted Pigs in a Blanket."

"Well, whatever, I won't make either."

"Fine," Embry sighed, dramatically, "No Youtube video until after Super Bowl."

"Wait-" I was about to protest but Sam entered the room followed closely by Emily.

He smiled, "I'm glad to see you got some sleep, Anni. I know Seth and Embry have been very worried about you."

I shot a look at Embry who shrugged, "Sometimes I patrol by the house and you're always wandering around in the middle of the night. I wasn't worried… just concerned."

"Isn't that the same thing?" Emily asked, laughing.

"No," he grumbled back before ducking his head over his bowl again.

Sam rolled his eyes, "Anyways, I want you to know I lifted the ban on Jacob. He's welcome to come back whenever he likes. I never meant it to harm either of you and I honestly didn't think he would take this long to realize that he's wasting his time with Bella. I'm sorry."

"It's fine Sam, really. Thank you for trying but maybe now he'll come back and things can get back to normal."

Embry snorted a laugh, "Things are never normal around here."

Emily wrapped her arms around Sam's waist and looked lovingly up at him, "Maybe that's just normal for us."

"Ugh! Thanks for the food, Emily, but I'm going to have to go before your public displays of affection make me throw it all up. Come on, Anni, I'll drive you home."

I gave Emily a hug and thanked Sam again before following Embry out the door.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry this chapter took so long. I've gotten to the point where I know what I want to happen I just don't know how to make Point A reach Point Z, if you know what I mean. Also a lot of the chapters I had before this were partially written even before I ever posted CoP on but this chapter was the first one I had to write completely from scratch so it took a little longer as will most of them from now on.**

**No Jake again. Sorry about that. Just hold out a little bit longer, please!**

**Thanks for all the lovely reviews on Chapter 18. I know these chapters aren't as interesting without Jake around but it makes me so happy when people review anyway. Thanks for the encouragement on the last chapters and for being so understanding about the Jakelessness. I love you guys.**

**Have fun at your Super Bowl parties. I'm using mine as a little inspiration for the next chapter. -AJ**


	20. Chapter 20

"Ugh! I feel like I am so late getting these out!" Emily exclaimed, tossing another finished wedding invitation onto the pile.

"Don't worry, Em," Kim said, "People could get the invites a day before the wedding and everybody would come because everybody loves you two and they wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Not everybody," Emily sighed. Kim and I both knew she was referring to Leah and how she wished that Leah were going to be her maid of honor just like they'd always planned since they were kids. So, Emily had decided that out of respect for Leah she would just keep the maid of honor spot vacant and Kim had been the only bridesmaid until I came along.

"Well, anyways…" Kim said, breaking the sad silence, "If you had done your invitations sooner and gone to the stationary store like you'd planned, they wouldn't look nearly as amazing. I swear, Anni, is there anything you can't do?"

I had painted a watercolor bouquet of green, blue, and purple hydrangeas, which was the theme of Emily's wedding, and she had taken the picture to the Kinkos in Port Angeles and had the image transferred to ivory tissue paper with all the wedding info printed over it. We were fixing the squares of tissue paper to a stiffer green paper that was embossed with her and Sam's monogram in Gold and sealing them in envelopes. The finished product was elegant and classy without being too girly, just like Emily. The picture was also being used on the programs, which were still in a stack against the wall, waiting to be folded. I'd felt so honored when Emily had taken the original painting and hung it, framed, in her living room.

In response to Kim's question, I groaned. " I can't make Jacob come home." I had meant it to sound matter-of-fact but it came off whinier than I expected and I inwardly cringed.

They both looked at me and nodded in understanding. Emily reached over and squeezed my hand. "How are you holding up?"

"Better," I simply said, which was the truth. Ever since Sam had lifted the Bella Ban, I could stomach more food and even though I still had to take Unisom at night, it actually worked which was a vast improvement.

I raucous cheer went up from the living which meant that Superbowl must have started. I'd almost forgotten that it was Superbowl Sunday and there was a big crowd of hungry Quileute men (and Charlie Swan) in my living room for the "best holiday of the year" according to Embry. When I watched him lovingly clean the big screen after I'd already cleaned it, I got the feeling that it had been purchased just for this occasion. Emily, Kim, and I had been cooking while working on putting together the invites all day. I got up from the table to pull another batch of spinach/artichoke dip and phyllo wrapped sausages out of the oven while Kim replaced them with two French bread pizzas we'd made.

Out in the dining room, some of the trays on the table were already empty and I piled them into a small stack to make room for the new dishes. Paul was standing at the table filling a plate and he immediately grabbed one of the burning hot pigs-in-a-blanket with his bare hand and transferred it on top of the already filled dish like it was as cool as a cucumber. I shook my head in disbelief, as that would have royally screwed up any average human's hand. He grinned at me, "These are the best deviled eggs I've ever eaten. What's your secret?"

I grinned back at him, "If I told you then I'd have to kill you." It was really just Spanish Paprika but why ruin the mystery of the best deviled eggs ever?

"I'd like to see you try," he said, bringing up one arm to flex his ridiculously large bicep and give it a kiss.

I gave him a mysterious shrug like I had hidden super powers he didn't know about and he laughed. We both knew he could crush any part of little me like a tomato with that bicep he loved so much.

An engine roaring outside caught my attention and we both turned to look out the dining room window as a new-looking black truck I'd never seen before pulled in behind Charlie's cruiser and cut the engine.

Paul grunted in annoyance causing me to ask, "Who's that?"

He just shook his head and said "Nothing but trouble," as he walked back into the living room but I got my answer soon enough when I saw Jimmy, dressed like he was coming to a photo shoot for GQ and not just coming to watch a football game, step out of the truck. In his hand was an ostentatious bouquet of tropical-looking flowers. I echoed Paul's grunt of annoyance but proceeded to meet him at the door anyway. I didn't have long to wait since Jimmy was running through the rain with his leather jacket over his perfectly straight long hair. God forbid, it get a little wet.

"I thought my Dad was coming," I said as soon as I opened the door.

He held his hand to his heart and took a step back, a look of mock hurt on his face. "Well, hello to you too. Joseph was already in "full party mode" when I got there so he told me to come in his place. I hope you don't mind."

I did mind. A lot.

"I brought these for the beautiful host." He held the flowers out to me and I took them and stepped out of his way so he could enter.

"Thanks," I said, "I'll make sure Embry gets them."

The comment earned me a snort of laughter from Billy whose wheelchair was parked closest to the doorway but Jimmy didn't get the joke, "They're for you," he corrected me, like between the two of us I was the idiot. I much preferred Jacob's beautiful batch of handpicked daises over this brightly colored mess that smelled like it was doused in flower perfume but not wanting to be any more rude than I already had been, I took a big whiff like I was enjoying the smell when really, I was just trying not to gag. I walked into the dining room to put them in the empty vase from the hutch in the corner. Jimmy followed me, obviously not that concerned that the game had started without him. After the flowers were placed I wanted to go back to the kitchen but Jimmy was between me and the door so I looked at him expectantly to see what he had to say but we had to wait while a loud chorus of "NO!" came from the living room while some team fumbled the ball. Jimmy took the opportunity to stare down my v-neck sweater, which I immediately adjusted, letting him know I didn't appreciate his gawking but he just smirked without shame. Even though I was modestly dressed, I suddenly found myself wishing I was wearing a parka instead. It disgusted me to think that girls must fall for this crap all the time to make him as bold as he was.

"So, I was thinking… you, me, dinner some time this week. Maybe a movie if anything good is playing." he pretended to move hair away from my face as an excuse to touch my cheek and I had the overwhelming urge to try and break his fingers but I fought it down so I wouldn't bring the attention of the whole wolf pack on us.

Just as I was about to tell him that was going to happen, I realized we already had the whole wolf pack's attention as Seth and Paul came into the room.

"She can't," Seth stated, "She's spoken for."

Uh, what? How did it get to be 1650 and when did I enter an arranged marriage? That's what I wanted to say but I was far too stunned so I just let my jaw hang open in shock at the audacity of someone I thought was my best friend.

"Oh yeah?" Jimmy challenged, the slimy smirk still plastered on his face. "By who?"

"By Jacob Black. That's who," Paul replied, stretching to his full height and looking more menacing than I've ever seen him.

I don't know if it was Paul's figure or Jacob's name that was more intimidating but Jimmy seemed to shrink back a little and the smile slid away.

How dare they? Just because they were all wolfy, that didn't mean they could go around controlling everybody else's lives. Furthermore, even if Jacob were here to "speak" for me, it would still be my decision if I'd let him do so. But he wasn't here and nobody got to make decisions about my life except me. Even though going out on a date with Jimmy was damn near the top of my list things I never wanted to do, letting someone else say what I could and couldn't do was definitely Number One with a bullet.

"First of all," I said, commanding everybody's attention. I placed my hands on my hips and directed my first comment at Seth and Paul, "Jacob isn't even here and nobody's heard from him in months so how can I be "spoken for" by him?" Not waiting for them to answer, I turned to Jimmy, "And second of all, yes Jimmy, I will go out to dinner with you." I grabbed the stack of empty trays off the table. "Please help yourself to the food, I have stuff to do." With that, I turned on my heel to go back in the kitchen but not before catching the self-satisfied look on Jimmy's face or the looks of surprise and annoyance on Paul and Seth's.

In the kitchen, Kim and Emily were exchanging their own unhappy looks. It was obvious they'd heard everything. "Anni…" Kim started, but before she could say what was on her mind, Billy came into room.

"Annika, you should listen to Seth and Paul. None of the pack think that you should go on a date with Jimmy Lee, including your brother. They are just trying to look out for you." His voice was almost unrecognizable as he was talking with the commanding voice of the chief and not as a friend, father or whatever it was he'd come to be to me, which only made me angrier.

"No, they are only looking out for pack property!" I said furiously, dumping the empty trays I'd collected from the dining room into the sink to be washed. The china clanged loudly as it settled causing Kim and Emily to cringe.

Billy looked surprised, "Nobody thinks of you as property."

"Really? Doesn't everybody think that Jacob should be able to come and go as he pleases and I should just wait here for him like a puppy and wag my tail and lick his hand when he comes back and be nothing but thrilled when he pays attention to me? Doesn't that make him my master? Doesn't that make me his property?" Billy was looking at me with a hurt expression and I felt bad for taking my frustrations out on him. "Look… I'm sorry, Billy, but if this imprint means nothing to Jacob then why should it mean anything to me?"

Billy shook his head to disagree with me, "I know, Anni, that my son has treated you horrendously but an imprint can never mean nothing and you will both come to see that in time. I'm embarrassed not only for him but for myself, that I raised him to think he can try and throw everything the Black family stands for away like it means nothing. You have every right to be angry and you have every right to want to try and go on with your life. You have become very special to me and it makes me proud that I know you can stand up for yourself but I just don't want you to regret any of the decisions you make in his absence." With that, Billy pushed his wheelchair back out into the hall to rejoin the men in the living room and I sank down in my chair, completely deflated of my anger.

The three of us girls were quiet for a moment and then…

"Anni, you don't really want to go out on a date with Jimmy, do you?" Emily asked me.

"No, of course not," I said, holding my hand out for part of the stack of programs she was reaching for.

"You can cancel. Just say you caught the flu. No man is going to want to go out with a girl he thinks will throw up all over him. Especially not Jimmy Lee. Have you seen his shoes?" Kim asked.

We laughed. I had, in fact, seen his shoes. He obviously paid a lot for them online as I knew of no stores around here that carried anything that expensive. I briefly wondered where he got the money. Surely, my Dad didn't pay _that_ well.

I made a resigned sigh, as I folded some perfect creases into one of the programs, "Nah, I'll just go and get it over with. How bad could it be right?"

* * *

**I know! I'm sorry! It's been two months since an update. A busy schedule and a serious case of writer's block were plaguing me but re-reading my reviews the other day gave me some ideas and inspiration. -AJ**


	21. Chapter 21

Another week at school passed miserably uneventful. Wednesday was the worst day by far, however. Another torrential downpour had descended on La Push while I was in class and by the end of the day I found myself in the familiar situation of standing outside underneath an awning while contemplating how crappy walking home in the storm was going to be. Only this time there would be no Jacob to come to my rescue like a super hero in a VW Rabbit. I couldn't even ask Seth or Kim for help since Seth was on patrol and Kim had French club after school. Nope, this time I was going to have to walk. And I did. Quickly at first but I gave up on that after the first minute. There was no possible way I could get any more wet than I already was, even if I jumped in the ocean, so I gave myself up to the inevitable and settled into my normal leisurely pace. Every soggy step I took made the idea of asking Embry for driving lessons seem better and better.

I walked up the porch steps with water dripping in my eyes and pooling in my boots and stopped at the door where I saw a piece of paper with the logo of my Dad's hotel/bar at the top. It read:

"You and Me

Dinner

7:00 Friday Night

-JL"

After not hearing from Jimmy for two days I had begun to hope that maybe he'd forgotten he'd asked me out or that maybe he was more intimidated by Paul than he let on and decided against it. But no joy. I'd made my bed by trying to show the pack I wasn't under their control and now I'd have to lie in it or look like I didn't mean what I said. I ripped the note off the door and sloshed my way to the living room where I threw it in the fireplace and commenced building a healthy fire that burned the note to ash within seconds. Sitting on the couch wrapped in a blanket and the memories of the last time I'd sat by a roaring fire made my heart ache for Jacob and the warmth of his strong arms around me. I couldn't help wondering where he was and what he was doing. More importantly, whom was he doing it with. For all anybody here knew he was healing his heart in some hotel room with a different girl every night. Jealousy flared inside me and cemented my decision to go out with Jimmy.

* * *

Friday night I spent my time getting ready while I talked on the phone with Frankie as he patiently dictated exactly what I was suppose to wear that wouldn't seem too sexy or welcoming: Jeans and a black off-the-shoulder top that draped in a way that didn't cling to my figure but still looked nice, and how I should wear my hair: down to cover my bare shoulders, and what makeup I should go for: Neutral but with heavy lipstick that would deter any thoughts of kissing. Apparently, men hated getting girl's lipstick on them. At least, that's what Frankie said and for whatever reason, he thought he knew all about straight men.

"So, tell me again why you're going on this date with a guy you don't even like?" Frankie's voice was tinny through the speakerphone as I followed his orders to get ready.

"Because my brother and his friends think I'm just going to date whoever they handpick for me and that's not okay with me. Why should they get to tell me what to do?" Saying it out loud suddenly made me feel like a petulant child and I could practically hear Frankie rolling his eyes.

"From what you told me, your brother and his friends sound like real stand-up guys so why wouldn't you go out with the guy they like versus the icky jerk that none of you like? Gee, An… sounds like the only person that you're screwing is yourself. Great plan!" His sarcasm was heavy and unappreciated but he was right. He always was.

"Ugh! So you're right! You, Seth, Embry, Paul, Kim, Emily… you're all freaking right! I'm making my point but I'm cutting off my nose to spite my face. Happy?"

Frankie laughed, "Drama, drama, drama," he said, quoting our favorite line from How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.

I groaned, "Well, it's too late to call and back out now. He's supposed to be here in 10 minutes. I'll just suck it up and go. We'll have dinner, I'll listen to him talk about himself for an hour, and then he'll bring me home and I can turn down any future dates he asks me on."

"Order the lobster and that won't be a problem, my darling."

His know-it-all attitude was getting to me. "Bye Frankie!" I said pushing the END button on my phone.

I finished getting ready and when I looked in the mirror, I was only mildly surprised that I looked exactly the way Frankie had planned: Nice but uninviting. With the same demeanor and a little luck, he'd lose interest and end the date quickly.

I heard a knock on the front door and went to open it. Jimmy stood there, once again looking like a model and knowing it. His long hair was pulled back in a leather thong and he wore a black dress shirt that was starched stiff. Even his dark-rinsed jeans looked pleated. What kind of weirdo irons their jeans?

Before I could even say hello, he leaned forward to kiss me on the cheek. "You look… nice," he said, taking in my outfit.

Yes, I did look "nice" and he was clearly disappointed there wasn't the possibility of another cleavage shot in his near future.

We drove the short trip into the slightly larger town of Forks which was cool since I hadn't been there much. We ended up at a lodge/steakhouse and were quickly seated, even though this was obviously the place for a nice meal around here and there weren't many empty tables. There wasn't a lobster to order but I did order the prime rib that was fairly expensive and the meal went quickly despite my date going back and forth between finding reasons to grope me and shamelessly flirting with the pretty brunette waitress named Jessica, who completely ate it up. Good, she could go on the next date with Mr. Hands. As expected, he talked non-stop about himself but the only thing I found interesting was that his father was Chinese and that he felt a special bond between us because we were both "half-breeds" and not completely welcome on tribal land. I didn't have to deal with that as a child but I knew what it felt like to be considered an "outsider" here as an adult and I couldn't imagine growing up that way. I started to feel bad for him and that was my first mistake.

After dinner, I expected Jimmy to drive me home immediately so I was surprised when we drove past the turn-off to my house. "Where our we going?"

"It's a full moon tonight and the sky is actually clear for once. The ocean is going to look amazing and I know this great viewpoint about a minute away where we can go check it out. Have you ever seen the Pacific under a full moon?"

"No," I said and to be honest, I was mildly curious. A few more minutes with Jimmy couldn't be so bad. That was my second mistake.

We drove off the main road and parked in a small clearing that overlooked the beach. He was right. The moon loomed large over the ocean whose waves were a deep purple as they hit the rocky beach. It was nature at it's most awe-inspiring but I didn't get the chance to enjoy it long.

Jimmy used his right hand to brush my hair back and expose my shoulder, which I ignored. "Pretty amazing, huh?" he asked me.

"Yeah, it's great… but I should get home now. Embry's probably wondering where I am."

"Hmmm, your father says Embry doesn't come home much so you're usually there by yourself. That must get lonely." Jimmy leaned in and began kissing my shoulder.

I immediately tried to pull back. "OK, Jimmy, the date's over. Take me home now."

"You can't go home now, we're having such a good time," Jimmy said as he worked his way up to my neck while he leaned across the middle console and unclicked my seat belt.

"Get off!" I raised my hands to his chest to push him back but he grabbed me by the upper arms with a vice-like grip and gave me a hard shake.

"Play nice now, little girl, and you'll go home soon enough." He spoke through gritted teeth and his voice was hard and demanding, he wasn't even trying to pretend this was a date anymore.

With one last struggle, I lunged for the door but Jimmy used my momentum to swing my legs underneath him and pin me diagonally across the seat, the back of my head thudding soundly against the window, making stars explode behind my eyelids.

I was shaken for a moment but when I pulled myself back together, I realized that one of his hands was under my shirt and making its way toward my bra. His touch made my skin crawl and I redoubled my efforts to get him off me. "Knock it off!" Jimmy yelled. He had to readjust his position to keep me under control and inadvertently gave me the opening I needed. As hard as I could I brought my knee up between his legs.

"Ungh!" Jimmy groaned in pain and instantly recoiled back to the other seat so he could grab his crotch. I took advantage of his distance and reached behind me to jerk the door handle and practically fell out of the truck cab backwards. I slammed the door to the truck closed and began walking as quickly as I could in the moonlight. I didn't want to stop and waste time trying to get my boots off but I also didn't want to start running on the rocky ground in high heels and risk twisting my ankle. The beach we had parked at wasn't too far from my house so at least I wasn't lost.

I had just gotten to the main road when I heard Jimmy behind me. "What the fuck, bitch? You think you can just do that and get away with it?" He was beyond pissed and without looking back, I started to break into a run but Jimmy was faster and in no time, I felt him grab aggressively on my arm and the momentum of his pull caused me to twist around and lose my balance so that I fell backwards. Luckily, I had the reflexes to put my hands out and partially catch myself before my tailbone hit the ground but I cringed as my palms scraped against the little rocks on the street and I could feel their sharp little points digging into my flesh. I looked up to see him advancing toward me, his hands balled into angry fists. I tried to scramble backwards but that was getting me nowhere fast so I stopped and brought one leg up so I could kick and maybe keep him at bay while I prayed for a car to come along. I wasn't small but I was no match for a guy who outweighed me by a good 60 lbs. Jimmy just laughed, "That's not going to work this t- Oof!"

Someone had slammed into Jimmy from the side so hard that the two of them went skidding a good five feet across the street, Jimmy only saved from vicious road burn by his leather jacket. I knew instantly that the figure on top was one of the pack by the way he hopped back on to his feet like it was nothing, but the moonlight wasn't enough to let me see his face. Jimmy wasn't so quick to get to his feet, obviously rattled by the unexpected blow.

Someone else dropped to my side and I tensed up immediately. "Shhh, it's just me." Leah's voice was strong and comforting in the darkness.

"Who's that?" I asked, pointing to the dark figure.

"It's Seth," she whispered. "We've been following you, of course. Seth wanted to do this at the truck but I convinced him to hold off in case you could handle it. You did good but this fucker is persistent."

I may not have been able to see Seth clearly but Jimmy could and once he was on his feet he was laughing again. "Seriously? You think I'm going to be scared of a scrawny teenager and two little girls?" Sometimes it was easy to forget that not a lot of people outside the pack knew about the wolves but if Jimmy knew that the two people he was mocking could actually turn into 4-legged death dealers in a split-second, he wouldn't be laughing.

"No, I don't expect you to be scared of me," Seth stated calmly," But you might be a little scared of them." He pointed into the woods behind Jimmy and we all looked over to see 5 figures gliding out of the shadows of the trees. Even from as far away as I stood, I could tell the one in front was Sam. He created the formidable presence of a Quileute warrior with his legs spread wide and his arms folded across his bare chest. Behind him Embry, Quil, Jared, and Paul were just as intimidating and I could practically feel the heat of their anger rolling towards us.

Jimmy automatically began backing up, with his arms raised like someone was pointing a gun at him. "Sam, dude, you know I didn't mean anything by it. She was the one that was coming onto me all night and then she has the nerve to kick me in the junk when I try to give her what she wants. Girls… ya know?" He finished with a nervous laugh while continuing to walk backwards in the direction of his car.

Leah let out a low growl and I reached over to grab hold of her arm like I could hold her back if she decided to rip his throat out but she made no further moves.

Paul, however, took one big, quick step in Jimmy's direction causing Jimmy to take a few hasty steps back and trip over his own feet, sending him sprawling to the pavement and making Paul crack up laughing.

Deciding he had had enough, Jimmy got to his feet and took off running.

"Yeah, you better run, mother fucker!" Quil called out after him.

"You want me to go after him?" Paul asked Sam.

"No," Sam replied, "I seriously doubt he will try that with anyone else any time soon and I don't need you going and getting hot-headed and making a scene. If we make something out of this, it can't be handled quietly like a vampire."

Paul huffed in annoyance of being reigned in but he didn't dare contradict the Alpha.

The rest of the pack made their way across the street. "Nice tackle, Seth," Sam greeted us. "I wasn't sure you could hold back enough to not hurt him but you proved me wrong."

I could see Seth beaming from the high praise in the moonlight.

I waited for Sam to start berating me for my idiocy but he just looked at me with disappointment clearly written on his face and that was actually much worse. He wasn't just Jacob or Embry's Alpha, he was mine as well and I hadn't known that until just now. Even though he couldn't force me to do anything against my will like he could one of the wolves, I was still bound to him. He gave me protection and he deserved my respect in return. Not only that but he had welcomed me into the pack, even at the expense of Jacob's friendship and I had thrown it back in his face and made a huge fool of myself in the process.

"Sam, I'm so sorry," I tried to say but the roar of an engine starting up caused us all to look in the direction of Jimmy's truck. A few seconds later, he came screeching out of the woods and fishtailed onto the street, driving in the opposite direction.

Finally interrupted from his thoughts, Sam sighed and shook his head. "Embry, walk your sister home and clean up her hands. I didn't think it was necessary to explain pack loyalty to her but I was wrong so I'll leave that up to you too."

I wanted to explain to him that ironically, that conversation was no longer needed at all but when I opened my mouth to speak Embry took my arm to lead me away and silenced me with a stern look.

The walk home was quiet and Embry didn't speak to me at all until we were at home in our bathroom. I was sitting on the toilet lid and he was kneeling in front of me, picking rocks out of my palms.

"I was worried for you tonight," he said quietly, without looking up. "We all were. The fact that you would go out with a sleazy guy none of us like, not even you, just to make some stupid point…" he shook his head, "…is beyond absurd. What if we had just let you go with him by yourself? Do you even realize what he might have done to you?" Embry finally looked up and I nodded as tears of shame and embarrassment filled my eyes to Embry's absolute horror. "No, don't cry and make this all weird. You don't have to be scared. I would never let anything happen to you."

My brother had finally admitted that he cared about me and of course, this only made me feel like more of a jerk and cause me to sob harder. So much for not letting them see me cry. By tomorrow, the whole pack would have an image of me with a splotchy face covered in tears. Embry glanced around the tiny bathroom like he was looking for someone else to take over the crying girl problem for him but not seeing any help, he grabbed some toilet paper and handed it to me and began to pat my head, awkwardly. "There, there. You don't have to be afraid anymore." His ministrations might have been hilarious any other time but he was obviously trying really hard to not bolt for the door and I couldn't ruin that.

"I'm not crying because I'm afraid," I said through my tears. "I'm crying because I let everybody down and now you all think I don't care about the pack, especially Sam."

"Oh, is that all?" Embry asked, looking relieved. "Nobody thinks you don't care about the pack. Sam was just angry with you tonight for putting yourself in such a dangerous situation but he understands and tomorrow it will all be forgiven. You got a little more of a lesson than any of us expected and that's punishment enough. The Jacob situation sucks and if he was here right now I'd punch him in the face, pack brother or not. Nobody blames you for being frustrated and angry when it's obvious that it's because you miss him. Sam and Jared can't even imagine what it would feel like to have Emily or Kim just walk away from them like Jacob walked away from you. So quit crying because you're making me really uncomfortable, ok?"

I wiped my face with the toilet paper and with huge effort, managed to compose myself. When Embry was satisfied that I wasn't going to burst into tears again, he took my hands back to clean off the dried blood and bandage them for the night. He was trying to be so careful I couldn't help but grin.

"I'm putting alcohol on your cuts and that shit stings, what could there possibly be to smile about?"

"You like me. You really like me," I did my best Sally Field impression to tease him.

Embry grunted as he worked but I saw his skin flush slightly in embarrassment. "Yeah, I guess I do. After what you've done for our Dad, how could I not?"

"You did that too."

"Nah," he said. "I had 17 years to fix things with Dad and didn't do it. You're here six months and he's working toward getting sober."

I shrugged, "Except for Superbowl Sunday."

Embry snorted, "Well, yeah, but that was Superbowl Sunday. Who wasn't drunk? Rome wasn't built in a day, little sister. There, all patched up."

I got up and began helping stuff things back into the First Aid kit. "Thanks Embry. For everything."

"Yeah, yeah, just don't try to hug me or anything or you're on your own."

* * *

**A/N: I promise Jacob is coming back VERY soon.**

**As for Anni's attitude check in this chapter, I had to do it. I wanted to make a character that equaled Jacob. She needed to be an awesome person to be worthy of him but Jacob is unapologetically human so he makes mistakes and Anni had to do that as well. So yeah... dating Jimmy, big mistake. I also wanted to dissolve the tension between her and Embry and also for her to become a complete part of the pack before Jacob came home so that accomplished that too.**

**What did you think? **

**Next up: Sam and Emily's wedding.**


	22. Chapter 22

When I tried to apologize to Sam later, he wouldn't let me. He did make it clear that if I wished to date than the pack wouldn't stand in my way but I should be dating someone for the right reasons and not just because I wanted to piss off Embry or Paul or whoever. The speech wasn't necessary. I had no plans to date any time in the near future.

I brought Billy a strawberry cream cake as an apology. I'd found the recipe in the box he'd given me and he told me that it was Sarah's great-grandmother's recipe and had been Jacob's childhood favorite. We spent the evening playing War with an old pack of cards and gorging ourselves on ridiculously large pieces of the best cake I'd ever had.

Life went on as normal. I spent my spring break working at the diner with Leah and helping Emily put the finishing touches on her wedding plans. I also bribed Embry with brownies to help me till the patch of dirt in front of the dining room window and I planted my own vegetable garden which is what Dad said his wife had used it for before. April showers really did bring May flowers and by June 1st, Emily and Sam's wedding day, their backyard was an explosion of blue, purple and green. They had made an indoor back-up plan but as it turned out, it wasn't necessary. The sky was blue with harmless cotton ball clouds and the weather was a perfect 72 degrees with only a light breeze.

Emily, Kim and I spent the morning at the only salon in Forks getting our hair and makeup done. Kim and I had our hair curled and sprayed with what seemed like a whole can of Aquanet to get it to stay that way but Emily's hair was a work of art. It was all pulled back in an intricate knot woven with little braids and hydrangea blossoms. A few stray curls were pulled out to frame her face and the finished product was stunning.

Back at Emily's house Kim and I changed into our sage green strapless bridesmaid dresses and then helped Emily into her dress so that she wouldn't smudge lipstick on it. While I zipped up the back, Kim handed her the bouquet of hydrangeas from the garden mixed with white lilies and then we just had to stand back and stare at her because she was the most beautiful bride either of us had ever seen. The dress was gorgeous in its simplicity, just a silk sheath dress with a lace overlay but the deep v at the neck and the almost off the shoulder cap-sleeves accentuated her form perfectly. Before anybody could start crying, Emily's father knocked on the door and said it was time to walk down the aisle.

Emily and Sam said their "I dos" in their backyard underneath an arbor dripping with wisteria while what seemed like the entire town of La Push looked on. Just like at the Cullen's wedding, they had a white tent put up over the dance floor and there was an area with tables where people could eat and talk.

There was a champagne toast when the happy couple cut the cake and I was shocked to watch Dad decline his fluted plastic cup in favor of raising a glass of water. I was even more shocked when he asked me to dance but not so shocked when Embry took off as fast as he could just in case I expected him to dance with me as well. Seth, however, stepped up and asked me for the next dance instead. I had to suppress my giggles while Seth twirled me around the dance floor, his face a mask of concentration as he tried not to step on my toes. We'd pass other couples dancing like Jared and Kim and even Sam and Emily who weren't so wrapped up in each other that they couldn't stop and laugh at the sight of poor Seth trying to dance but it was all in good fun and soon I was laughing openly and he was laughing with me and we decided to get silly with it. He plucked a rose off a nearby table and stuck it between his teeth so we could tango. First one way across the floor and when we reached the end I hooked one leg around him and took the rose from his mouth and stuck it between my own teeth as he swung me into a dip. A loud round of applause came from the nearby tables including the one where Billy Black, Sue Clearwater, and my father sat. We then tangoed the other way and this time Seth dipped me so dramatically that I felt the ends of my hair sweep the dance floor just as the fast song ended.

We had stopped right in front of a lone person standing on the dance floor and Seth and I both froze as we looked up at Jacob Black. I gasped in shock and for a moment the world seemed to stop while the only movement was the rose falling out of my mouth and tumbling in slow-motion to the ground. Though my view of him was upside down and skewed I was still stunned by how handsome he looked. He must have stopped at his house to change before coming to the wedding because he was wearing a pair of black slacks and a white dress shirt with the cuffs rolled up to show off his bronzed forearms. Seth quickly straightened us both up and we just stood there staring at Jacob, stupidly, as the beginnings of a slow song started to play. Now upright, I could see other changes in his appearance. He must not have cut his hair the entire time he was gone since it had grown almost to his shoulders and the dark circles under his eyes made it look like he'd gotten about as much sleep as I had. I don't know if it was all of the changes or seeing him dressed up for the first time but he looked so much older than I remembered, like a person who had just gone ten rounds with themself.

"Seth, may I cut in?" Jacob asked in his smooth, deep voice that made my stomach do back flips. Seth looked at me and I tried to beg him with my eyes not to leave but Jacob cleared his throat in a way that meant he wasn't really asking so much as telling and Seth gave me an apologetic look before abandoning me. Jacob stepped into his place and since I was still in a state of shock he took my hands and placed them on each of his shoulders. Then he pulled me close and wrapped his arms around my waist and his warmth dizzyingly surrounded me.

"Where have you been?" I managed to ask in a whisper as he began to gently lead me in a swaying rhythm around the floor.

Jacob sighed, "Not where I belonged."

A dry laugh escaped through my lips, "Oh? Are you going there next?"

We turned by Sam and Emily, who gave me a watery smile; obviously happy Jake had come back for the wedding.

Jake's husky voice commanded my attention again, "No, I'm there now."

"Well, I'm sure Billy and Bella will be glad to hear that. When are you leaving again or can you not plan these things? Do you just wait for someone to piss you off so you can leave?" I was still whispering but my voice dripped with as much venom as I could muster.

Jacob groaned, "Anni, I know you're angry and you should be but I have been thinking about how good you feel in my arms for so long. Can you just wait to be mad at me for a little while longer and let me enjoy this? I promise to let you take out all your aggression on me later."

I was stunned into silence but he had a point. It felt so right to be this close to him, drowning in the feel of his body and his woodsy, exotic scent. I'd still be mad at him two minutes from now when the song ended and he'd probably take off right after anyway since that was his usual M.O. so I might as well enjoy this too, right?

I let me hands drift up until they circled around his neck and I couldn't help letting my fingers drift into the shaggy hair at the back of his head, twirling the silky strands between them. Another rumbling groan came from Jacob and I laid my head against his upper chest and felt more than heard his strong heartbeat against my ear. It was slightly faster than I expected it to be but maybe that was just another symptom of his wolf side. He rested his chin against the top of my head and one of his hands began to drift up and down my spine leaving trails of tingly warmth through the thin fabric of my dress wherever it went. I shivered involuntarily from the intense feel of it.

Jacob's arms instinctively tightened around me, "Are you cold?"

The idea was laughable, "No, Jake. How could I ever be cold when I'm this close to you? Your hands just feel good." He gave a grunt of satisfaction. God, he was so arrogant! But I couldn't complain when his hand continued the sweet torture on my back.

I tensed with the last strains of the song. Was this it? We'd had our moment and now he would pull away and berate himself for giving in to the desires of the imprint. But another slow song began and he only pulled me closer if that was possible. With relief I realized I had a few more minutes with my Jacob and I relaxed back into him, letting his even breathing and the music wash over me. The lyrics of the song seemed to speak directly to my heart by describing exactly how the imprint made me feel about Jacob and this moment when he was finally here and La Push could feel completely like home. Just for the moment I allowed myself to give in completely to the effects of Jacob's presence, his warmth, his scent and our gentle caresses across bare skin clouded my brain like I'd had too much champagne.

The song ended and a faster one started. This time I knew our time together was over and my anger quickly returned. No! He didn't get to make me look like the pathetic fool again! Not in front of all these people that I was beginning to love. I didn't want them to give me those looks of pity when Jacob left me heartbroken on the dance floor. I broke my grasp from around his neck and shoved out of his arms. I turned quickly so I wouldn't see the look of self-loathing that was always on his face after he would let me in for a moment. I was walking quickly across the dance floor, praying I could make it across the lawn and disappear into the trees before any of the tears that were threatening me could fall but he was behind me. I knew he was matching me step for step the way I could still feel his heat on my back.

Out on the brick path, halfway to the trees, his large hand grasped my wrist, "Anni, where are you going?"

I struggled against his grip, "Let me go! I get to leave this time! Not you!"

I tried to glare up at him but it only caused the tears to slip out the corners and down my cheeks. His eyes were full of remorse but he didn't let go of his grip and said nothing as he scrutinized my face. I knew what he would see, the dark circles under my eyes that the bridesmaid makeup couldn't cover and the high cheekbones that had made me look strong before but only jutted unnaturally out of my too-thin face now.

I continued my assault on his arm, trying in vain to get free, "You don't get to push me away this time. I'm walking away first. Just let me go and you can be free to hate yourself for dancing with me." Panicked, I realized my voice was a little too hysterical and a little too high and I looked behind him hoping we weren't making a scene. To my relief nobody was looking at us but I saw the tense way Jared and Kim stood and knew they were aware of what was going on but were trying to give us some privacy. I also saw Billy break away from the throng of people under the tent and roll his wheelchair out onto the path. I looked back at Jacob's face and was surprised to see understanding and regret there. I knew it. I knew he would be mad at himself for the dance. I turned my attention back on my arm in his powerful grip, "Let me go!" More of my tears flowed and I was horrified as some of them landed on the bare skin of his hand.

"Jacob!" Billy's voice barked out harshly as he approached us, "Let Annika be. You're being rude not to congratulate Sam and Emily. Come say hello to everyone."

Jacob's grip lessened slightly and I was finally able to tug my arm free. I gave Billy a look of thanks before turning and fleeing into the forest.

I ran all the way back to my empty house, thankful for having picked flats to wear instead of heels. I'd shed a furious stream of tears the entire way and by the time I collapsed onto my bed, I seemed to have run out so instead I lay there choking on dry sobs and cursing Jacob's hold over me until I fell asleep.

* * *

I woke up feeling like I was wrapped in an electric blanket thanks to a strong pair of arms that held me tightly against a bare chest. I didn't need to open my eyes to know that it was Jacob.

"You're awake," his voice was gentle but filled every corner of the dark room.

I pulled away and was slightly surprised when he let me go without a fight. My arm reached for the strings of the Venetian blinds and soft moonlight filtered into the room as I opened them. Jacob had moved his hands to behind his head. He was still wearing his black slacks from the wedding and the white shirt was on but completely unbuttoned. The expression on his face was the most open and relaxed I'd ever seen from him. It almost took my breath away. Almost, until I remembered the longs months he'd been gone.

"How did you get in here?" I asked as neutrally as I could manage.

"I know where the spare key is hidden," he smirked back at me.

I was instantly indignant, "Well, that's nice. No one's bothered to tell me where the spare key is."

"Well, maybe I'll show you where it's at sometime," his dark eyes sparkled with amusement but I carefully kept my face sculpted into an unreadable mask.

"Don't you think this is totally inappropriate? You pushed me away repeatedly, then you took off for months and didn't let anybody know where you were, not even your own Dad. Now you're all of a sudden back and you just come into my house... into my room and for God sakes… into my bed without permission and try to make jokes like nothing happened? And I'm what…? Not suppose to be confused? What if I'm seeing someone? Do you think he'd appreciate you just coming in here and getting into my bed?"

Jacob's face turned dangerously serious. "Are you seeing someone else?"

With chagrin I thought about my disastrous date with Jimmy. He'd probably find out about that soon enough but I wasn't going to be the one to tell him. "Well, no but that's not the point. What if I was?"

Jacob relaxed again and twisted his body until he was leaning on one elbow facing me and reached for my hand. I was too thrown off by his abrupt attitude changes to stop him from twining the fingers of his other hand between one of my own and I couldn't help how it made my heart pound that much harder. Stupid, traitor heart. "Anni, I've been such a fool," he said.

I let my eyes drift from our entwined fingers up to his earnest face, "I seriously hope you don't expect me to disagree with you."

He smiled widely and brought the back of my hand to his lips where they seared a burning kiss. "No, I don't expect you to disagree with me but I'm not going to be that fool anymore. When I said I was right where I belonged, I didn't mean in La Push. I meant with you. You're where I belong."

The imprint in me wanted to throw myself into his arms and his lips and drown there and my brain was demanding some serious explanations but the anger and hurt that had wormed it's way into my heart like a cancer all these months while his abandonment had not only made me feel lonely but actually caused me physical harm roared to life and I shook my hand free of his and I pointed at the door. "Get out," I demanded, proud that I'd kept any tremble out of my voice.

Jacob pulled back, shocked. "Look, Anni. I know I've fucked this up so badly but I also know it's not beyond repair. Will you please just talk to me?"

"At the wedding you said if I danced with you, then you would let me be mad later. Well, it's later and I'm mad. Leave."

"Yeah, be mad! Yell and scream and tell me what an asshole I am and I will completely agree with you. Kick me! I deserve it! But don't kick me out. Give me a chance to explain or beg forgiveness or something. Whatever you want me to do."

He reached his arm out to me again and I quickly pulled back, hopped off the bed and opened the bedroom door, gesturing for him to walk through it. "Out Jacob!" I barked again, letting him know I meant business.

He paused for only a moment before getting up and walking out. After he'd stepped over the threshold, he turned to face me, a look of determination on his strong features. "I WILL make this right and I WILL do whatever it takes to gain your trust and get you back."

I just closed the door in his face and then turned the lock, which was silly since Jacob and I both knew that no locked door would keep him out if he really wanted in. I shivered as I thought about the look on Jimmy's face as he refused to take 'No' for an answer and then felt bad. Jacob definitely wasn't Jimmy and even though locking the door was only for show, I knew he would respect it. I leaned my forehead against the door and held my breath as I listened, feeling Jacob still on the other side. For a moment, only a tense silence filled my ears and then Jacob let out a dejected sigh and I heard his foot steps down the hall and then the front door clicked shut.

Immediately I felt regretful panic seize me in its grip. Was that the wrong move? Should I have let him stay? What if that was our one chance to get it together? What if he took off again?

I took deep breaths to try and calm down. No, kicking Jacob out was harsh but it was right. He shouldn't have just shown up here the way he did and expected everything to just go back the way it was. It was an absolute miracle that I hadn't let myself fall under the spell of him right away. I needed time to process the fact that he was even back in town, let alone back in my life. I knew that if I didn't deal with all the anger and pain I was currently holding in my heart towards him in a way that I could let it go completely than it would fester there and poison any future Jacob and I might have together. I wanted that future with Jacob. I really did but I needed to make sure he wanted that future with me too and would stick it out even when things didn't go the way he wanted.

It was only 4 in the morning but there was no way I was going to be able to go back to sleep with the smell of Jacob still in my sheets so I took my sketch pad out to the living room and began to draw the way Jacob had looked laying there in my bed, with his shirt unbuttoned and his arms behind his head, completely at ease. He'd never looked better.

* * *

**A/N: Yay! Jacob's back! Is everyone happy now? All the sharp objects can be put away? lol**

**The second song Anni and Jacob dance to is "If My Heart Was a House" by Owl City. In my head, an imprint is the person who is the North to the compass of your heart so yeah, perfect song. You can listen to it on youtube, but I didn't want to post the lyrics here for copyright issues.**

**And yay for Emily and Sam getting married! I always wanted that to have been a part of the books and I was sad when they ended without it.**


	23. Chapter 23

It was 10:00 in the morning and I had finally changed out of my bridesmaid's dress which was now hopelessly wrinkled beyond repair and into a tank top and yoga pants. I had finally broken down and bought my own coffee machine for days like today when I just couldn't bring myself to make the trek down to the diner. I was on my much-needed second cup of coffee when Jacob came storming back in to the house without knocking and found me in the kitchen. His face was a frightening mask of anger and I immediately put my coffee down.

"Um… hey… what's going on?" I was almost afraid to know the answer.

"What's going on? Really? You almost get yourself raped by that waste of flesh Jimmy Lee and you're wondering what's wrong? Seriously, Anni? Seriously!?" His voice had risen to near-hysterical tones and angry shadows seemed to fly across his face despite the sunlight streaming in the windows.

"Oh. That. Well, that's kind of old news so forgive me if I don't immediately know why you're furious at me about something that happened months ago when you weren't around," I snapped back at him.

Jacob's face got even darker if that was possible. He jabbed his finger at me and opened his mouth to say something but then he seemed to think better of it, clamped his jaw shut and stalked out of the kitchen. Before I could get up to follow him, he stalked back in and just stared at me, the muscles in his jaw clenching furiously. He clearly didn't know what to say or do.

Even enraged, he looked handsome and I couldn't help letting my eyes travel over him. He'd changed out of his wedding attire as well and was now in his favorite jeans and a black T-shirt. His long hair, that had previously been pulled back, now hung casually down past his chin, accentuating his strong jaw and chin. His fists were balled up tightly at his side and it was then that I saw the raw and torn skin on his knuckles. It could have only happened in the last couple of hours but the wounds were already scabbed over and healing. "Oh my God! What did you do to Jimmy?" I cried, jumping up from the table and grabbing one of his hands for a closer inspection to see if it was past the point of being bandaged. It was.

Jacob snorted, "Believe me, not enough. Definitely not what he deserved."

"This looks pretty bad, Jacob. Does he even have a face anymore" I said, running my hands tenderly over the wounds, like I could heal them with just my touch.

Jacob yanked his hand back, "What's with all the concern for that guy? Worried I mangled your precious pretty boy's face beyond repair?"

I put my empty hands on my hips. "No, Jacob... Jimmy can go to hell for all I care. I just wanted to know how long you were going to be in jail for. Ok? Now can you just calm down and talk to me?"

Jacob seemed to deflate a little but he shook his head, "I don't know if I can calm down. I saw the image of you and that bastard in his truck in Seth's head and I just… I went crazy! If the others hadn't been there to run me down, I really would have ripped his head off his body."

"But you didn't…"

"No, I didn't. I wanted to. I still want to." Jacob ran his hands over his face like he was trying to clear the mental picture from his head.

"So, what's with the hands?" I asked.

Jacob sighed. "Let's just say there's a few less trees in the forest."

I let myself relax. "Ah. And Jimmy?"

"Don't be mad at me but I went and told your Dad everything and Joseph fired him on the spot. He even picked him up and threw him out on his ass." Jacob actually laughed at the memory. "Your old man's still got some guns on those arms."

"And then?" I pressed, knowing that wasn't the full story.

"And then I followed him outside and told him to get the fuck out of town and not come back or I'd make him regret it. That's what Sam should have done in the first place. I don't know why he didn't but he and Emily are in Seattle so it's not like he could tell me no."

"OK… ok, that's not so bad," I breathed a sigh of relief. "Except now Dad doesn't have help at the bar."

"Already taken care of."

"Who?"

"Jared."

I laughed, "Jared wants to work at the bar?"

"Well no," Jake replied, "but he was looking for some extra work so he could buy Kim an engagement ring… but don't tell her that!" He rushed the last part out like he was afraid he'd ruined the surprise which was completely endearing.

"No, of course I won't." I assured him.

There was a pause while we just looked at each other and then Jacob closed the few steps between us and took my face in his hands so he could look into my eyes. "Honestly, Anni, what were you thinking going out with that guy?" His voice had turned soft, but strained. No longer angry but concerned.

He was so close that I could see the tiny flecks of gold in his eyes. They sparkled with the intensity of his gaze and for a moment all I could do was let myself drown there, not even realizing I was holding my breath until the need for oxygen started to burn in my lungs and my gasp for air ruined the trance-like effect he had on me. It was with no small effort that I took two steps back and Jacob let me go. I offered the only explanation I could, the one at the root of all my anger towards the pack when I had decided to go against them, "You left me." It was three small words but the look of hurt and regret that covered Jacob's face, made me wish for a moment that I had lied instead but it was the truth and he needed to hear it. "You didn't want me and it hurt… so bad. He wanted me and if you ever found out, I thought it might hurt you a little too." It was so petty that it was embarrassing but it was the truth.

"I never not wanted you, Anni. Never! But I was angry too. Angry because I thought I had no control over my life, over us, over Bella."

At the mention of her name, I cringed and once again, Jacob tried to close the distance between us but I stumbled backwards until I felt the knob of the kitchen door hit my spine and he gave up. "I was stupid and wrong and I know what I want- no, what I need now and that's you. Only you."

"What changed?" I demanded. I had done nothing different but somehow Jacob had decided that he wanted me over Bella? It didn't make sense.

"Nothing at first but the longer I was gone, the more clearly I saw how I really felt. I was angry at Bella, angry that she'd still picked Edward and her ultimate death over me and everything I had done to save her from it. The longer I was angry, the more I realized that's all it was. I was angry with her but I didn't miss her, not like I missed you. And I REALLY missed you." His face turned soft as he looked at me. "I missed the way you dance in the kitchen when you cook, the way you wrinkle your brow when you're concentrating on your art, the way you look like an angel in firelight, the way you go out of your way to make the people you care about happy, the way listening to the steady beat of your heart while you sleep soothes me, even the way you never seem to remember an umbrella…" he paused while we both laughed a little at this. I could feel the brick wall I'd built up around my heart weakening like Jacob was using a battering ram against it instead of his words. It must have been written all over my face because once again, he moved towards me and I let him until our bodies were just inches away from each other. He tucked a stray piece of hair behind my ears and then ran his pointer finger along my entire jaw line to my chin so he could tip my face up to his and look me in the eyes. "I missed talking with you, laughing with you, touching you… kissing you…" He closed his eyes and moved his head down to meet my lips and even though my heart was pounding ferociously, I knew those walls had cracks in it but they hadn't fallen down yet. At the last second, I turned my head to the side and Jacob's soft kiss landed along the curve of my jaw, near my ear instead. It might as well have been my lips with the way warmth spread throughout my body. Neither of us moved for a moment, which I didn't mind. At first, I thought he was mad but when he started running his nose and lips along my neck and into my hair, I realized he was breathing me in. The warm feelings settled into the pit of my stomach and created the pleasant knot that I had only felt once before when things had gotten hot and heavy by the fireplace. It was insane the way that just being this close to him and barely touching would make my body ache this way. Just when I was about to give in and reach for him, he sighed and pulled away. "Is there any coffee left? I don't think I've slept in three days. I was running like hell to get back here for the wedding."

It took me a few seconds to pull myself back together but I managed and made my way over to the coffeepot where the wall was now lined with little wooden pegs holding mugs. I made him a cup and popped it in the microwave to heat up. Jacob sat at the kitchen table and neither of us spoke until I handed him his cup and sat across from him with my own which was now cold but I didn't care.

"Thanks," he said. He was staring into his cup like the depths held some mystical secret. He was deep in thought and I didn't want to disturb him. "Something else changed too," he finally said.

"Oh?" I said, letting him know I was ready to hear whatever it was.

"When imprinting was explained to me by Sam, the theory was that wolves imprinted on their strongest genetic match to further the success of the tribe… and to ensure more wolves to protect it if necessary."

"Uh huh…" Seth had explained this to me too and I wondered where he was going with this.

"I thought I didn't imprint on Bella because she was a pale face but, well, no offense, Anni, but you're only half Quileute and you're pretty pale yourself so why would I imprint on you? Out of all the women on the rez to be my best genetic match, it's you? It doesn't make sense."

I had never thought about this before and if anybody else had ever questioned it, they certainly hadn't brought it up with me but he was right, it didn't make sense. I had seen plenty of full-blooded Quileute women who would love to be with Jacob and surely would have made a better genetic match than I did. "You're right, but then… why?"

"When this finally occurred to me, I started thinking about all the other imprinted couples. You know Sam and Leah were together?" I nodded. "Well Leah is Emily's cousin, why would Emily be a better match for Sam than Leah when they share a lot of the same DNA?"

I shook my head. Why hadn't anybody else thought of these things? Why hadn't I?

He continued. "Could you imagine Sam and Leah if they had ended up getting married? They would have been at each other's throats all day long and it wouldn't have ended well. Sure, they loved each other… a lot but maybe that's just not enough. In the end, they just wouldn't be right for each other."

"So what are you saying?" I wasn't having trouble following but I couldn't see where this would end up.

Jacob took another drink out of his cup while he seemed to be figuring out how to put what he wanted to say into actual words. "I think being able to access our wolf selves the way that we do, might also put us in touch with our souls more closely than the average human."

I understood, "So imprints are actually soulmates?"

He nodded, "In the deepest meaning of the word. It isn't some higher power pulling the strings and controlling my life that decided you were the best match for me. It was my soul recognizing your soul and knowing that you were everything I ever wanted, even though my brain hadn't caught up yet. I picked you, Anni. The same way Sam picked Emily and Jared picked Kim. We belong together and if the Cullens had never come here and I'd never become a wolf, I still would have picked you eventually because we just fit. We belong together."

Jacob eye's were shining with all the emotions he'd just expressed. It was getting harder and harder to hold onto my anger when I could see he was telling the truth. He was handing me everything and all I had to do was just accept it. It would be so easy… But there was still one question left. "If you knew this, why did it take you so long to come back? It's been months and months."

A shadow crossed his face. "I saw what you went through in Seth's mind last night and it kills me. If I had known, I would have come back as soon as Sam lifted the ban on my feelings for Bella. I wouldn't have put you through that but you have to believe me that I didn't know. I was sick too but I thought it was because I was angry and running away from my problems. I had no idea it was affecting you the way that it was. I won't ever leave you like that again. I promise."

I nodded. I could see on his face that that was the truth.

He continued, "I felt when the ban was lifted, I knew I could come home at any time but the imprint thing hadn't yet occurred to me and I was still angry. When it finally did… when I finally realized the truth, I had no way of testing if my feelings for Bella were completely gone. If the line had still been there, all I would have had to do was step over it but as it was…" Jacob threw up his hands in a helpless gesture. "I'm a protector by nature, Anni, that's why I'm a wolf. Bella brought out such strong feelings in me because she constantly needed to be saved from herself. If you ask Sam and Seth, they will tell you the same thing. She brought out their protectiveness too. She's just that kind of person. She needed me and I confused my love of being needed for actual love. I wanted to come back but I had to be sure all those feelings were gone so I could be fair to you." He paused and smiled like he was remembering something. "I knew they were gone when I realized what day it was and that Emily and Sam would be getting married soon. I imagined you in a beautiful dress while we danced and knew I needed that to happen for real. If I could just hold you in my arms than even Bella deciding to walk a tightrope across a ravine couldn't tear me away."

I expected him to smile about the goofy idea of Bella on a tightrope but instead he hung his head, something I'd never seen my strong Jacob do. His long hair fell in front of his face and made it harder for me to hear his words. "If I could take it all back and start over with you, I would in a heartbeat. If you need me to stay away for a while, I'll understand. I promise I won't barge into your house again."

I'd never seen Jacob look vulnerable and it was a shock to my system. It was a far cry from the person who'd left my bedroom only hours ago, vehemently swearing he would fix things like our relationship was one of the broken cars out in the garage that he could go buy parts for. This Jacob had bared his soul to me and laid it all out on the line even though there was a good chance I would reject him again. Without even thinking about it, I got up and moved around the table so I could fall into his lap. Jacob wasted no time in pulling me as close as possible, almost too tightly, and burying his face in my neck. I couldn't believe it when I felt his hot, wet tears against my skin. He wasn't sobbing or anything but I never thought of Jacob as someone who could cry, even if it was just a few tears. "Jake," I whispered, "I'm hurt and mad and that's not just going to go away."

"I know," he said miserably, his lips were moving against the bare skin my tank top exposed. "I'm so sorry." I felt fresh tears slide down the curve of my collarbone and pool in the hollow of my neck like I was the one crying. And then I realized that I was. It was both of our tears, collecting there, mingling together. I knew that if we kissed now, it would be like we were swimming in the ocean, all salt and sun.

I began to stroke his hair, soothingly, like my mother or Ananda used to do when I was upset. I felt the tension in his arms relax a little. "You're right, though. We do belong together. I may not be able to forgive you for leaving me right now but I'm not going to push you away again. Let's start slow, ok?"

There was a pause and then… "So no more sneaking into your room at night? Damn!"

There was my Jacob and I couldn't help laughing with relief because I had missed him so much. "Maybe not for a while."

"I think I can handle that," he joked. There was a pause and he squeezed me again, "Anni," he whispered my name like it was a prayer, "Thank you for letting me come home."

I remembered how he'd told me that I was him home, not just La Push and I felt my heart contract and I imagined the cracks in the walls around it expanding with the pressure. "I'm glad you finally did," I replied, laying a gentle kiss on his forehead.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I hope you like this one as much. Hello to the new readers, thank you for stumbling on this story. I know it has the crappiest, most generic summary ever and I'm sure that's keeping people away. Suggestions on improvements there will be happily taken... Seriously. But it's not the quantity of readers you have, it's the quality right? You guys are great and you repeatedly give awesome reviews so thank you so much!**

**I know a lot of people wanted me to keep Anni strong and not give in to Jacob right away so I'm sorry. In her defense, she hasn't forgiven him completely and he will have to keep working for it but come on... I mean, it's Jacob! Who could resist?**

**Also, holy hotness... who loves the Eclipse trailer? I do! It looks like the director did a really good job. Could the newborn army coming out of the water be in creepier? Two more months to go! If only it ended differently. lol**

**Edit: A reader suggested I listen to the song 'Life After You' by Daughtry and I agree that it's the perfect song to describe Jacob's feelings when he's coming home so if you have the time, hop on over to Youtube and give it a listen. Beautiful song!**


	24. Chapter 24

"Welcome home, son," Billy said, raising his can of beer.

"Here, here," we all said, raising our own various glasses and cans for the toast.

The mood at that night's Sunday dinner was festive. Despite half the people at the table still being mad at Jacob, we were all relieved he was back. The table fell silent while plates of barbeque chicken, mashed potatoes, and fruit salad were passed around by the usual cast of characters, even Charlie was there. Bella and Edward had come back from their honeymoon a long time ago but he still never missed Sunday dinner. I felt bad for him; by the way he talked about the Cullens, I could tell they made him nervous, rightfully so, and he didn't see his daughter very often because of that. Then again, maybe that was for the best, seeing as she would probably disappear completely as soon as she was turned so he might as well get used to it now. I couldn't help marveling at Bella's selfishness once again. It's not like Joseph was going to win any Father of the Year awards any time soon but he was trying and I loved him for it. I couldn't imagine just walking away and never seeing him again but Bella was about to leave a father who had been there supporting her for her entire life and had tried so hard to keep her happy and safe. She was going to throw that all away and I couldn't help feeling disgusted.

Jacob gave me a light kick under the table and raised one eyebrow when I looked up at him. He had picked up on my mood change. I just gave him a shrug that I hope said 'it's no big deal' and went back to eating.

Embry had also been watching me very closely. I got the feeling he was expecting me to lunge over the table at Jacob any minute, out of rage or lust, I couldn't tell. I gave him a reassuring smile but his face was still skeptical.

The dinner conversation was the usual: sports, fishing, and cars. Even though I didn't know much about any of those subjects, I still enjoyed the feeling of normalcy they brought to my life. Nobody asked Jacob where he had been or even brought up him leaving at all after Billy's toast, which I was relieved about. To be honest, I really didn't want to know. After our talk earlier, my theories of him being off cavorting with other girls didn't seem plausible.

"So, Anni," Charlie interrupted my thoughts. "A little birdy told me you have excellent grades. Have you thought about where you're going to apply to college next year?"

"Um, I don't know yet. Maybe University of Washington."

Dad grunted, obviously dissatisfied with my answer. Jacob shook his head but thankfully, kept his mouth shut.

"Oh," Charlie said, "That's a… good state school. Any Ivy League options you're considering?"

"Yeah, I guess. I haven't really thought much about it. I have to get through Junior year first."

Like a good brother, Embry picked up on how uncomfortable this topic of conversation made me and quickly stirred up a debate on which was the best place off the beaten path to go camping.

After dinner and everybody else was gone, Embry and Jacob helped me carry the dirty dishes into the kitchen. When the last dish, was carried in, Embry began hopping excitedly from one foot to the other. "I'm on patrol tonight," he told Jacob. "You coming?" I knew Embry always went out on patrol with the hopes that he would get to fight something that night so his excited energy was nothing new.

"Yeah, I'm gonna hang back for a few though. I'll find you."

I was secretly pleased that he was in no hurry to leave but I wasn't about to let him know that. I threw him a dishtowel as Embry ran out into the woods. "You're drying."

"Déjà vu," he said, "but I'm guessing there will be no hot bodice-ripping romance tonight."

The devilish grin he threw my way was so sexy it almost made me wish there was. "Nope, just hot dishes. Get to work!" I said jokingly while snapping my fingers. There was no radio this time so we started humming TV show theme songs, at least he did. I joined in on the ones I knew from watching TV at Frankie's house like the Brady Bunch but there wasn't many. When he started Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I couldn't help but burst into laughter, "I wouldn't have taken you for a Buffy fan." Frankie had gotten the entire collection of seasons on DVD for his birthday and we had worked our way through them last year.

He shrugged, "I'm not willingly but I grew up with two big sisters and one TV set. I saw every episode of that show but I'd be lying if I said I didn't kind of enjoy it. A hot chick staking vampires? What's not to like? If only it really was as easy as a stake to the heart."

"How come you don't get all stoked about patrolling like Embry does?" I asked, passing him another rinsed dish.

"Embry loves the whole wolf thing. What little boy doesn't grow up wanting to be Clarke Kent? Average person by day, secret super hero by night. It's exciting for most of the pack."

"But not you?"

"No, not me and not Sam. How could I be after meeting Dr. Cullen and his wife? They're vampires but there's more kindness in them than most people. It's hard to separate that in my head and it reminds that these vampires were once human with hopes and dreams like us and if Carlisle and Esme can be what they are and still be "good", why can't they all? I don't know… I just don't like having to kill anything, even if it's already technically dead… but I'll do it if I have to and I'll do it damn well. As for Sam, he just thinks of it as a job with a ridiculous amount of responsibility."

We finished the dishes and headed out onto the porch to enjoy the last of the early summer sunlight. The air was perfumed with the jasmine plant that was curling itself around the corner of the house and crickets had begun their nightly serenade.

"So, school's almost out. Have any plans for the summer?" Jacob asked, breaking the spell of the evening air.

I leaned against the porch railing, trying not to look at him so I wouldn't get distracted by the way the sunset caressed his face. "Well, I worked at the diner over spring break so I guess I'll do that again. Maybe I can convince Frankie to come visit though 'small town surrounded by nature' isn't really a big draw for him."

"I'm sure he will come if you invite him. Any plans to hang out with a certain favorite wolf whose name starts with J?"

"I think Jared may be a little busy with Kim but I suppose I could try," I teased.

Jacob growled jealously in my ear, which caused the knot in my stomach to instantly appear and send a shiver up my spine. I could feel the imprint pulling me towards him but I resisted and pushed myself away from the rail and walked over to sit on the steps. He followed but got the hint and didn't sit too close to me. "I do have a favor to ask you though," I said.

"Anything," Jacob said automatically. I got the feeling that I could ask for a kidney right now and he would give it with a smile on his face.

"I want to learn to drive. Embry tried to give me a few lessons but they all ended… badly."

"Ah," he said, knowingly. "Yelling, cursing, car doors being slammed?"

"Pretty much," I said. I left out the fact that our last lesson had ended when I had stomped on his foot after we had parked in a lot at the beach and he had asked if I needed glasses to see the lines. He had retaliated by dumping me into the ocean to "cool off" and we hadn't talked for a week afterwards.

Jacob chuckled, "The two of you are too alike for your own good. Of course I'll teach you. Speaking of Embry, I should probably get out there," he jerked his head in the direction of the forest and we both stood up. "With Sam gone, patrols have been bumped up and I shouldn't leave him hanging."

Awkwardness descended on us. The need to say goodbye with more than just words hung heavily in the air between us. I wanted to hug him at the very least and we both just stood there while the war inside me raged. Finally, my brain won out over my heart and I took a few steps toward the door. "Good night, Jake."

I don't think he could help the way his face fell but he accepted disappointment gracefully. "Good night, Anni."

I watched him sprint towards the forest, removing his shirt while he ran and causing me to swear at myself for not taking the many opportunities I'd had to remove that shirt, myself. The man was practically a God and unbelievably, he was all mine whenever I was ready. Too bad I wasn't ready.

* * *

The rest of the week dragged by. I didn't do much except eat, sleep and study for finals. Thankfully, the Unisom was no longer needed since Jacob was home and food tasted the way it was suppose to. On Monday I had eaten dinner at the diner with Kim. Stella watched with wide eyes while I put away a chili burger and a whole plate of fries and then proceed to inhale half a chocolate cream pie. "Are you totally stoned or what?" she had asked me in an awed whisper causing Kim to start laughing uncontrollably, which probably made us seem even more high. The circles under my eyes appeared less dark and my body had already begun to fill back out to its usual curves.

There was a small bouquet of freshly picked wildflowers waiting for me on my porch every morning when I went to school but I didn't actually see Jacob again until that Friday after school. I was out pulling weeds in my garden when I got the feeling that someone was watching me. I turned around and lifted my head up so my large-brimmed sun hat was no longer an obstacle. Jacob was standing a few feet away with a look on his face that I couldn't quite decipher.

"Jake… you ok?"

My question seemed to snap him out of his thoughts. "Yeah, yeah… I just… you reminded me of my mom." I didn't know what to say. Was it a good thing to remind the man you loved of his mother? He clarified, "Well, not you exactly but she never went out into her garden without wearing a hat like that one. It just made me miss her."

"Oh, I'm sorry," I immediately put my hands up to remove it.

"No, leave it on. It's okay that I miss her. May I help?" he asked, gesturing to the garden.

"Thanks, I'd like that."

He sank to his knees beside me and began removing the unwanted plants. "Looks like you have quite the green thumb," he said, gesturing to my perfectly straight rows of sprouting vegetables. "I didn't think you'd be able to have a garden in the city."

"No, you're right. I grew a few flowers in pots on our window sill and once I tried to grow tomatoes but they couldn't get enough light in the house and after I moved them out onto the fire escape I couldn't bring myself to eat them."

"Why not? It seems like a waste."

"Manhattan fire escapes are almost as trafficked as the side walks. Who knew what… or who was pissing or spitting on those poor tomatoes when I wasn't looking."

He grimaced, "That's gross."

"That's New York," I replied. "I'm a little in the dark on whether I'm actually doing this right but it's just a hobby and if anything grows and actually tastes good, yay! If not, whatever."

Our hands reached for the same weed and as they collided Jacob took the opportunity to twine his fingers with mine. It felt nice but different since his usually hot skin had been cooled in the slightly damp earth. We stayed like that for a moment, both of us staring at the alternating shades of our skin pressed together and then I relaxed my hand, indicating I was done. He slowly let me go, like it killed him to do so.

He cleared his throat, "The reason I came by was to ask you to come with me to the Legends Bonfire tonight."

I mentally swore. Leah had explained the Legends Bonfire to me when she had called to see if I wanted to go with her a few days ago. It was an annual bonfire where Billy told the history and folklore surrounding the tribe and where they… no, we… came from.

"I'm sorry, Jacob. Leah already asked me to go with her." I really was sorry. Huddled by a warm fire with Jacob was on my Top 5 list of favorite things to do. "You could come with us if you want."

He groaned, "No thanks."

I rolled my eyes, "What's up with you and Leah?"

Jacob brushed some hair out of his eyes and looked thoughtful before answering, "It's just harder to be in her head than anybody else in the pack. She's just so bitter, I guess I was worried that her man-hating ways would rub off on you but that's pretty stupid. To be fair, she's been a lot happier since I came back and explained my imprinting theory to her."

My shins were beginning to ache and I leaned back to sit down. "Why's that?"

"Well, when Sam imprinted on Emily instead of her for what they thought was "genetic" reasons and then Leah became a wolf and found out, she just kind of assumed it was because she couldn't have kids so she had become a wolf because it was the only way she was of any use to the tribe."

Yeah, that would probably make me bitter too. "And now she thinks she can?"

"Well, now she thinks it's more of a character thing that she became a wolf instead of an imprint. Could you imagine Kim or Emily being a ferocious wolf and tearing arms off vamps?"

That made me laugh because I really couldn't. "So now she can be proud instead of bitter," I said, happily. Then something else occurred to me, "She might even imprint on a guy!"

Jacob made a face, "I can't imagine Leah all lovey-dovey over anyone but you should let her know you think it's possible. She might get a good laugh out of it." I punched his arm lightly in protest and he quickly caught my hand and brought it to his lips for a kiss. "Anyway, I shouldn't have waited so long to ask you to go with me but I know you've been cramming for finals next week and I didn't want to bother you." He leaned his lips close to my ear, "One more week and then you're all mine."

I opened my mouth to protest but he was already halfway across the front yard. Damn wolf speed.

* * *

After parking the car, Leah and I mingled with a few people before claiming some seats. As soon as we were settled my eyes scanned the crowd for Jacob and I found him easily. He was sitting directly across from me with Jared and Quil and I could tell he had been watching me the whole time. He gave me a wink and a flirtatious grin and Leah snorted, "Why don't the two of you just do it already? Damn, you could cut the sexual tension with a knife."

"I'm not ready to forgive him yet," I told her honestly.

"What's the matter? He came back, right?"

"Yeah…"

"And he's not crying over Bella anymore, thank God."

"Well, no…"

"You can't stay mad forever. What would be the point in that besides making the both of you miserable? Yeah, he fucked up but you're punishing yourself in the process of punishing him. So, yeah… I'm all for Jacob getting knocked down a few pegs but you being happy is more important than teaching him a lesson and I can tell that what would make you the most happy is letting yourself love that moronic man-child over there who looks like he'll combust if you don't start giving him the time of day."

"Aw, Leah. I love you too," I teased her.

"You better not tell anybody I have sentimental feelings or so help me, I'll hunt you down. Got that, Blondie?" I threw my arms around her in a bear hug. "Ugh!" she groaned, disgustedly but she gave me a quick, tight squeeze in return before wiggling away.

The bonfire was just as amazing as I thought it would be. Less people showed up to this one then the other one I had attended but that wasn't a surprise since they'd all heard the stories before. They were new to me and I drank in every word but Billy was a commanding speaker so I wasn't the only one paying rapt attention. When he got to the story of the Cold Ones and the destruction they wreaked along the beach and the people of the tribe, I couldn't help but look over at Jacob and meet his eyes. It shocked me that the extraordinarily strong and bloodthirsty creatures that Billy was talking about were the same creatures that Jacob hunted almost every night. He must have seen the horror on my face because he looked like he wanted to walk right over and protect me from my own fear. He probably thought I was afraid for my own life when I was actually afraid for his.

Leah understood though. "Don't worry. I've never seen a vamp that Jakey couldn't take down. It kills me to admit this though… Sam may be the Alpha but Jake is definitely the most bad-ass one of us."

"You must be pretty bad-ass too, Leah. You're the only girl in this tribe with enough cojones to fight like they do. That's incredible."

She didn't say anything but she sat a little straighter and I could see the pride blossoming there.

I thought I would at least get to see Jacob for a few minutes afterwards but he was nowhere to be found and I was surprised at how disappointed and lost I felt on the drive home. I stayed up for a little while at the kitchen window hoping I might see him outside but he never came and eventually I went to bed.

* * *

I was back in the clearing where I had seen the male vampire Jacob had killed only this time it was night. The decrepit tree house was still there and I was surprised I could see it so clearly until I looked up into the sky. A full moon loomed there; lower than I had ever seen it. I knew if I looked down I would see the same vampire there watching me just as he had before. Unable to help myself, I tore my gaze from the moon but instead of seeing the barefoot man, I saw the young, blonde one again. She was in a long, black dress with a hooded cloak that covered most of her hair. She smiled at me and it was beautiful and terrifying all at once. "Poor child," she said. Her voice was unbelievably light and melodic compared to the last time I had seen her. "All alone in the forest. No one to rescue you this time."

I kept waiting for the intense pain to come but when it didn't, I turned around and took off as fast as I could in the direction of my house.

Her laughter rang through the trees like evil church bells. "That's right, run!" She called from behind me, "It's so much more fun that way."

My feet pounded on the moss-covered dirt while I ducked the now-familiar branches. The animals and birds that I disturbed out of their sleep made me gasp as they noisily took off in another direction. Any second, I expected her to tackle me to the ground so when I reached my backyard I burst into tears of happiness. It was stupid but I felt like if I could just get through the door, I would be safe. Every inch across the yard and up the porch steps was a miracle but right as I was about to take the last step up, she appeared in front of me, hands grabbing on to my arms and nails digging into my flesh. Her being one step above me put me directly at her blood-red eye level.

"Looks like I win. So sorry." But she didn't look sorry at all. She was grinning and the moon lit up her two rows of perfectly straight teeth like deadly, little Christmas lights.

"Scream," she demanded in a chilling whisper. "Scream for your lover to save you." As those teeth moved toward my neck I obliged her, using all the power of my lungs to scream for Jacob as I struggled in vain against her iron grip.

* * *

"Shhh, Anni. Shhh… I'm right here. You're safe, I promise. Please wake up… Please!"

I realized as he shook me awake that I was still fighting and screaming with tears streaming down my face and I quickly stopped and put all that energy into throwing myself into his arms like I was a small animal trying to burrow into its mother's warmth. I could practically still feel the sharp edges of her teeth against my skin.

"Shh… shhhh… shhh..." he repeated over and over as he rocked me. When I had calmed down, I lifted my head up and managed a small smile to let him know I was alright. "What in the hell were dreaming about?" Jacob demanded.

"There was a vampire in the woods and she was trying to kill me but… it felt so real, like I was actually there."

"Too much talk about The Cold Ones tonight, that's all," he said, brushing the tears off my cheeks.

I shook my head and pulled away, "But it wasn't just tonight. I had a dream about her before but Leah woke me up."

Jacob furrowed his eyebrows, "Hmmm."

It was then that I completely forgot about vampires all together because I had finally noticed Jacob was naked. Completely and totally naked. I gasped, feeling my face get hot but for some horrifying reason, I couldn't look away. I'd never seen a guy naked in real life before and after the trauma of my nightmare, a naked Jacob in my bed seemed to have short-circuited the synapses of my brain.

Jacob laughed as he stood up, "See something you like, Anni?" He was shameless in his nudity but from what I could see, which was a lot, he had good reason. I didn't know how to answer so I said nothing and continued to stare. He had stopped laughing now and by the way his erection had begun to grow, he was feeling the effects of my intense gaze. "Alright..," he said, reaching for the blanket on my chair to wrap around his waist before coming back to stand in front of the bed. "I heard you screaming for me and I didn't think, just got here as fast as I could so that means no clothes and I need to fix the back door tomorrow. Sorry."

Leah's words about not being able to stay mad forever played through my mind and I acted without thinking, rising up on my knees so I was faced with his chest and began running my hands down from his pecs to his abs.

"Anni, what are you doing?" In his hurry to take hold of my wrists, he forgot about needing to hold up the blanket and it fell to the floor, revealing his whole muscled and tight body to me again, including his now full-sized erection. I wasted no time in attacking his abs with my lips and tongue, teasing the soft, salty skin there and working my way down. Instead of moving away or letting go of my wrists, Jacob held them tighter and with every kiss, his stomach clenched and his fingers squeezed me. One of his thumbs began rubbing unconscious circles against the sensitive skin on the underside of my wrist. I looked up at him through my lashes as I moved lower. Jacob groaned and let his head fall back for a moment. I was at his waist now and I laid a kiss on his hip, accidently brushing my hair against his cock and making it twitch simultaneously causing him to gasp and snap his head back down to look at me with lust-filled eyes. I pulled back slightly so I was directly in front of the head and examined the drop of clear liquid that had leaked out. "Oh God," I heard Jacob murmur as he let out a breath. Curious, I stuck my tongue out and licked the salty liquid off.

That's when Jacob let go of my wrists and pushed me back against the mattress quicker than I could comprehend, using his body weight to hold me down. I took that as a good sign and began sucking lightly in his neck but he managed to twist away while still holding me down. "Anni, you have to stop this. I know this isn't what you want right now. You're just overtired and upset from your nightmare and all the stories you heard tonight."

"No," I breathed, angling myself so I could run my teeth along his collarbone. Jacob hissed and pulled away again but I was so caught up in the physical, emotional, and chemical affect he had on me that I tried to reach for his body but he grabbed my shoulders and gave me a hard shake.

"Listen to me!" He demanded, putting his face directly in mine. "You don't think I want this? I do! You have NO idea how much… But I know you're not done being upset about what happened and I don't want to ruin any progress I've made with your trust by letting something happen that you're not ready for. So please, if I let you go will you be good?"

I took a moment to decide, letting my head clear slightly and then nodded. Jacob got away and wrapped himself in the blanket once more. The abrupt absence of his body heat and all the leftover adrenalin caused me to start shivering in my tank top and shorts and I quickly crawled back under the covers but they couldn't replace Jacob.

He stood over me, looking like he wished he were the covers. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Are you leaving?" The thought panicked me as I began to remember the cruel voice of the blonde vampire as she mocked me for being alone. I bolted up with wide eyes. The thought of Jacob being out there in the forest with things like that was just not something I wanted at that moment, no matter how "Bad-ass" Leah said he was.

"I really think I should," he answered.

"Please stay," I begged quietly.

Jacob looked longingly at me and then back towards the door. "I don't think-"

"Please! At least until I fall asleep."

Jacob looked like he was going to say no until I lifted up the covers for him to join me and he gave in, slipping in beside me but making sure the blanket was still tightly secured around his waist. I immediately curled up to his side and threw one leg partway over his causing him to tense up but when I didn't take it any farther, he relaxed and let me put my head on his shoulder. Jacob started humming a slow song I'd never heard of and between the gentle vibrations it caused in his chest as I lay against it and his rhythmic, warm caress on my back, I was out in no time.

* * *

**A/N: Wow, thanks for the great reviews! They were insightful, funny, and heartfelt. I'm glad people are really getting Anni as a character and not just another "Mary Sue."**

**There is still a lot of drama coming but I thought Anni and Jacob deserved a little quality time first, yeah? That was my first time writing real "M" worthy stuff so please be gentle.**

**Also, I've been trying to find a picture of someone who reminds me of Anni so I can post it in my profile but so far, no luck. So if you have a celebrity or someone that you compare her to when you read this, I'd be really interested to know who.**

**Thanks for reading and reviewing.**

**-AJ**


	25. Chapter 25

Warm sunshine filtering through my bedroom window brought me out of my sleepy haze. Without opening my eyes, I stretched out all my limbs as far as they could go and then let them relax but I had a nagging feeling there was something important I needed to remember. I tried to push it away, not yet interested in giving up the peaceful moment but when I couldn't shake it I gave up and let myself walk through the memories of last night.

Bonfire…. The Cold Ones… Driving home… Going to Bed… Vampire nightmare… Jacob waking me up…

Oh. My. God.

My eyes flew open and I shot up into a sitting position to look for him but he was gone. I sagged in relief. What had I done? Screamed and cried over a stupid dream and then thrown myself at him like I was one of the "skanks" Kim made fun of. No wonder he was gone. I'd obviously traumatized him with my actions. He probably thought I was some kind of head case now… pushing him away one minute and sexually assaulting him the next.

I managed to feel hot and cold all at the same time but one thing was clear: I didn't want to stay at the scene of the crime any longer. I got out of bed and reached for my robe but decided against it since it felt like it was already warm outside. How long had I slept? I walked down the hall and into the kitchen to switch on the coffee pot. No way was I going to the diner today and maybe not ever again since it was pretty likely that every wolf mind in there had gotten a good show last night after Jacob left. I groaned. This was my own personal hell. In fact, I might not ever leave the house again. Thank goodness I'd already bought the coffee maker. Speaking of, it was making it's wonderful bubbly brewing noises and beginning to smell like heaven so I decided to wander into the living room in the hopes that I might find something on TV to distract me.

Unfortunately, that wasn't going to happen since I only got two steps in before I had to stop short. Jacob was laid out on the couch, asleep and fully clothed. Not just jeans and a T-Shirt fully clothed but he had on a hoodie and shoes as well. Great. He probably thought I'd try to maul him again if he even showed so much as an ankle. Could this get any more embarrassing?

I couldn't help but notice how peaceful he looked when he was asleep. Even when Jacob was cracking jokes, his body always seemed a little bit tense, ready to handle anything. This sleeping Jacob didn't have a care in the world. I wanted to run my fingertips over the curve of his cheek and feel the softness of his warm lips with my own. I had to remind myself that that's what got me into this mess in the first place.

For a moment I thought maybe I could back out slowly and shut myself in the bathroom until he left but that plan was foiled when I realized his eyes were open and looking at me. Apparently this could get more embarrassing since I was only wearing a white tank top and pajama shorts. I quickly crossed my arms over my chest to cover my lack of bra but judging by the way he was looking at me, he'd probably already noticed.

"Hey," he said, cautiously. He watched me as he stretched and moved into a sitting position. "Are you feeling better?"

"Jacob, I am so sorry." I could feel my face flush again.

Jacob's brow furrowed. "Out of all the things I imagined you'd say this morning, I never thought of that one. Why are you sorry?"

Come on, was he really going to make me say it? I shifted my weight uneasily. "I am just beyond mortified at my actions last night and the position I put you in."

"Who said I didn't like being in that "position" with you? Personally, I would enjoy being in any position with you."

His Sexy-Devil smirk was back and I had to fight to keep myself from being sidetracked. "Ok, seriously? I mean, you had to physically restrain me to get me to stop. Obviously, it's not what you wanted."

Jacob turned serious. He leaned forward on his elbows and rested his chin on his fists. "Anni, come here." I just stood there staring at him. "I'm serious, come sit down and let's really talk." He patted the couch cushion next to him and when I finally obliged, he angled his body to face me, removed my hands from across my chest and held them in each of his own. I felt raw and exposed with so much of myself bared to him in that moment. I tried to keep my eyes on our hands but he made sure he had complete eye contact with me before continuing. "Yes, I did stop it but only because your actions were coming from a place where you weren't thinking rationally and it was something you weren't ready for, just like I said last night. I wasn't lying. If I had thought that that was what you actually wanted, believe me, I would have been right there with you."

I bit my lip. Was he just placating me? "Really?"

He barked a short laugh, "Uh… yeah." I couldn't believe it but now he actually looked embarrassed. I didn't think that was possible. "You did things to me last night nobody has ever even come close to doing. It felt…" He paused while he thought. "Well, there aren't words to describe how it felt."

I shook my head, "Come on, you're kidding right? You're Jacob-freaking-Black, La Push's Most Eligible Bachelor. Women practically rip their clothes off when you walk by and you're telling me you've never even had a blow job?"

"It's the truth! I'm a card-carrying V in every sense of the word."

I was stunned, the man was practically sex personified, after all. "How is that possible?"

"Hey! In my defense, I didn't always have this rockin' body and awesome ninja skills. There was a time when I was once a scrawny geek who spent all of his time in the garage fixing up cars and dreaming about girls who wouldn't look twice at me."

That was hard to imagine. "Well, you've been Super Jacob for a while now so what happened?"

"Well, Miss Nosy, what happened was the knowledge that came with the body. Through Paul's mind I got to see how unfulfilling it is to go around sleeping with random girls that mean nothing all the time but through Sam's mind, I got to see what it was like to be with the one person you live and die for. There's no comparison. I know you know I've kissed Bella." Ugh! She was not what I wanted to talk about right now. I tried to look away but Jacob maneuvered himself back into my field of vision. "She is the only other girl I've ever even kissed and it couldn't hold a candle to the crazy things you do to my soul with just one look."

Jacob moved to kneel in front of me, still holding both of my hands. "I need you to believe that you're it for me and know that nothing physical that happens between us should ever be bad, embarrassing, or something to apologize for but I want the next steps to happen for the right reasons and when both of us are ready. You understand, Sweetheart?" I could feel his loving words work their way to my heart and I felt more pieces of the wall breaking down. I knew that I was completely ready for what I did next which was to place my hands on the sides of Jacob's neck and lean forward slightly until I could press my lips to his in the softest kiss I could manage that still expressed the intense feelings I had always had for him. Jacob made a small, happy sound in the back of his throat as I began moving my lips against his but he let me stay in control until I opened my mouth to him. Then he swiftly deepened our kiss, exploring every millimeter of my tongue with his and at the same time, grabbing my hips and pulling me off the couch so that I was kneeling on the floor with him. Our arms instinctively wrapped around each other like we couldn't get close enough. Eventually, the kiss ended and we kneeled there with our foreheads pressed together, hearts pounding, and trying to catch our breath. "I am so glad I waited to experience all those things with you for the first time because it's going to be incredible."

"Me too," I agreed.

"You mean…?"

I smiled, "Yep, Big V over here too. You were my first real kiss even."

He look stunned. "Wow, I didn't think I could feel worse about what I jerk I was to you when that happened on the cliff but apparently I can," he said, running his fingers through my hair.

"Let's not think about that. Let's just focus on our future," I said, letting my mind wander to thoughts of Jacob and I naked in my bed, entwined in each other's arms after making love for the first time. Focus, Anni! Change the subject! "So what's with all the extra layers? Afraid I was going to do illicit things to your body while you slept?" I joked.

Jacob laughed, "Is that something I would fear? No. Look forward to? Hell yes! Honestly, I just thought it would make you more comfortable to have me on the couch fully clothed. You know, since that's basically the opposite of me barging into your room naked which obviously ended up… awkward." We shared a secret smile.

"I made coffee," I whispered.

"You're a goddess," he whispered back.

We both stood up, "I'm just gonna go put something else on," I said, suddenly aware of my lack of clothes again.

Jacob sighed, "If you must." He gave me a joking wink before I turned around and hurried back to my room. I grabbed the first things I saw which happened to be a pair of jean shorts and a blue baby doll top. My brown boots made it look a little more country than I was but what could I do? It's like the ground here keeps water on a time release so even when it hasn't rained in two days, you can still sink up to your ankles in mud if you step in the wrong spot. Flip flops weren't exactly an option which was sad since I owned about 50 pairs of them. I grabbed a rubber band and quickly pulled my hair up into a messy knot.

The kitchen was empty when I came back out but the back door was slightly ajar from having it's handle completely ripped off last night. I grabbed my sunglasses off the counter and followed Jacob outside. He was sitting on one of the two patio chairs next to the table that was holding two mugs of coffee from which steamed coiled gently into the air. I took a seat in the other chair and took a long sip from my mug. One sugar and a little cream, Jacob had paid attention to how I like it.

"Mmm," I said, putting my mug down and tilting my head back so that the sun's rays could sink into my exposed limbs. "Sunbathing in La Push. I didn't think it was possible."

Jacob didn't answer so I tilted my head to the left to look at him and found him staring at me, "What?" I asked, self-consciously.

"Nothing," he said. "Just feeling lucky."

I smiled back. I was feeling pretty lucky too except for one little thought still nagging my mind. "So, has everybody seen what happened last night? Do I need to start wearing a paper bag over my head in public?"

"They haven't seen and please don't ever put a paper bag over your head. I didn't go back to patrol last night. But you know they probably will eventually, right? I mean, that's just our reality."

I groaned. That was not the reassuring answer I had been hoping for. "How do the other couples deal with it?"

Jacob reached across the small, round table and removed my hand from the handle of my mug so he could hold it in his own. "Well, we have two options but I've got to warn you, neither of them are great. We can either be so embarrassed about it that we hold back and end up being miserable or we can just go on with each other like we would in a normal relationship and not give a damn about who sees what. Jared and Kim tried option number one first and it didn't work so well but they are pretty happy with option number two, even with how shy Kim is, so I'm hoping we can be happy with it too. Do you think that's possible?"

I looked over at Jacob and drank in the way he looked right then with his russet skin gleaming in the sun. He looked young, healthy and strong, not like the kind of person who would have problems with their memory but somehow it must have slipped his mind that we had tried to hold our feelings back and it had already become clear how impossible it was. "I think it's going to have to be," I told him.

He squeezed my hand gently before letting it go. "I was really hoping you'd say that."

We sat in silence for a moment, watching the gentle breeze sway the grass in the backyard that had been neglected a little too long. I judged it to be about 11 in the morning from the position of the sun in the sky and briefly wondered what I would do with the rest of my Saturday but just getting to be with Jacob and do nothing was so nice that I kind of hoped we got to do this all day.

I could tell that wasn't going to be the case when Jacob unfolded his large body from the chair and stood up, "Sam got back late last night. Mind if I use your phone to check in with him?"

"Help yourself."

Jacob took a moment to kiss my forehead before going back inside and I turned my attention back to my rapidly cooling coffee and staring blankly out onto my lawn. My thoughts immediately turned to the amazing man I could hear chatting casually on the phone in my kitchen. Was I over his absence? No, not completely but he had been nothing but honest about what he wanted since his return and clearly, what he wanted was me. Leah had been right when she said nothing would make me happier than being with him so why should I punish myself? Why should I feel like I was failing myself if I just let it go and try and forgive him sooner than he might deserve? I couldn't help that I was still holding onto a little knot of anger and fear but every second I spent with Jacob only made it smaller and smaller. I couldn't wait until it was gone completely and all I'd feel when I looked at him was love and security.

I was jolted out of my thoughts by another person appearing at the edge of the trees where Jacob had sat so many times. I stood up to get a better look at her. She was blonde with pale skin and for a moment she just stood there like a statue looking at me. I quickly realized that she was no person but a vampire. Without any further hesitation I opened my mouth and screamed for Jacob as loud as I could.

Before I even had the last syllable off my lips she was out of the cover of the trees and speeding toward me faster than anything I'd ever seen. I might have backed up or tried to run into the house at this point but instead I was stopped dead at the sight of her in the sunlight. When I was little my mother used to take me to the Saturday Market and one year there was a booth with a man selling rainbow-catchers. Every time we went she would let me stop and stare at the prisms for as long as I liked, mesmerized as the refracted light of the sun bounced off of them. This was what the vampire reminded me of as she hurtled like a rocket across the grass and I couldn't help but be entranced by the sheer beauty of her pale skin sparkling like a million rainbow-catchers.

I was jolted out of my trance by wolf-Jacob crashing through the doorway with a snarl and colliding with the vampire just as she was leaping over the deck rail. They slammed into each other with such force that it seemed like the echoes of it could be heard into the mountains. They bounced away and onto the ground with almost as much force and the female seemed like her only thought now was to get away as she quickly regained her footing and turned around to run back the way she had come but Jacob wasn't going to allow that. He lunged after her and grabbed a hold of one of her upper arms with his jaws. The strength of his teeth versus the momentum she was propelling herself forward with caused the arm to tear as neatly away from her body as if she was just a paper doll. Her screech of pain was ear-shattering and I threw my hands over my ears out of instinct.

Seth had explained to me how the wolf pack had to rip apart and burn all the pieces of a vampire to make sure they were dead but actually seeing it happen was something I never expected. Jacob used his mouth to toss the arm away and resumed the chase, quickly taking a large chunk out of her side but unbelievably she continued to run and I found myself sinking to my knees as my legs seemed completely unable to support me any longer.

More growls joined with Jacob's right before two more wolves emerged from the forest. One of the wolves launched himself at the vampire's legs at the same time Jacob went for one of her shoulders. In an instant the vampire's lower body was completely detached from her upper body but her shrieks continued to fill the air. The third wolf went back into the woods and came out phased into Paul. While Jacob and the second wolf continued to tear the vampire into ever-smaller pieces until she mercifully stopped screaming, Paul jogged across the grass and took an armload of chopped wood to the long-abandoned fire pit in the yard. The second wolf ran off in the direction of the garage and emerged as Seth carrying a large container of gasoline. In no time they had a huge fire roaring and were beginning to hunt down the pieces of the female. With every chunk they threw in, another explosion of black smoke would hiss and rise into the air. Jacob soon phased as well and joined them.

After a few minutes I noticed Seth was looking at me grimly through the rails of the deck. "An, that's the second time a leech has gotten through our patrol lines and gone straight for you."

"Didn't piss off any coven leaders in New York did you?" Paul joked.

"I wouldn't know… Maybe I have really sweet blood," I joked back, though my voice sounded small and less brave than I wanted it to.

Jacob made a pissed-off growl and savagely threw another piece of vampire onto the makeshift bonfire. "That's not funny! Everybody keep working! I want this disgusting thing burned completely."

Seth complied but kept talking to me. "Of course it's just a coincidence. Your house is kind of on the way to the ocean, after all." He gave me a reassuring smile and then continued to scan the ground for what I assumed was stray fingers and toes.

This was all just too much. One minute I'm sitting on my porch having a peaceful morning cup of coffee with Jacob and the next he's burning an entire vampire in my backyard? Who has Saturday mornings like that? I sank down lower until I was sitting crossed-legged, taking comfort in the feel of my bare legs against the sun-warmed wood. I allowed myself to close my eyes and take a few deep breaths and before I could even re-open them Jacob was kneeling by my side after having borrowed a pair of Embry's shorts.

"Anni, are you all right?" he asked, as I looked into his warm, brown eyes that were crowded with loving concern. "I know that's a really stupid question, but I have to ask."

"I'm fine, I'm fine," I said, waving him off. The last thing I wanted to do was come off as a total wuss after Seth, someone a year younger than me, just tore a vampire in half with his teeth.

"No, really, are you alright?" He asked me with a slightly stern edge to his voice. He wasn't playing around.

I shrugged, "I'm… well, I'm not good but I'm fine. I swear. Just lucky you were here… again."

Jacob looked away and I could see his jaw tensing. I didn't have to ask him what he was thinking. It was the same thing I was: what if he hadn't been? I felt the goose bumps rise all over my body and pushed the thought away.

"You know what I decided?" I asked him, trying to lighten the mood.

"What?" he asked, looking back at me.

"I decided that I'm not a fan of vampires. I mean, they show up without warning and expect lunch. It's rude, right?" Jacob snorted. "By the way are they all that fast? That chick was like... wicked fast."

"Hey!" He said, pretending to have hurt feelings. "Wasn't I 'like… wicked fast' too?"

"Yeah, it was pretty incredible," I agreed, stroking his ego a bit.

"At least, I hadn't fixed the door yet. That would have been a wasted effort." I looked past him to the back door which had gone from a door without a handle to just two bits of wood hanging off the hinges. I hadn't noticed before but the whole deck was littered with chunks of wood and broken glass from when he had burst through it. Jacob stood up and reached his hand down to help me up, "C'mon, Sam wants me over at his house and there's no way I'm leaving you here alone after what just happened. Do you need anything from inside?"

I shook my head 'no' and followed him out into the yard. Paul and Seth were finishing putting out the fire with the help of some beach sand and Jacob told them to meet us at Sam's place as soon as they were done. We began walking the back way to Jacob's house, which was through the woods behind my house and past the clearing with the tree house. Jacob was holding tree branches out of my way and making sure the path was otherwise clear but after about two minutes of our sluggish pace, he turned around and scooped me up into his arms like a groom holds a bride he's about to carry over the threshold and continued walking with such long strides that I could have never hoped to keep up with him.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and inhaled the scent that was uniquely Jacob.

"What do I smell like to you?" he asked, catching me off-guard.

"Um, you smell like freshly ground black pepper, bergamot, and…" I took another deep inhale, "these sage candles my mom used to burn. Why?"

"I have this theory that an imprint smells different to their partner than they do to anyone else. It's a scent that makes you feel immediately comforted in that person's presence. For example: to Sam, Emily smells like roses and fresh baked bread and to Jared, Kim smells like laundry soap and hot chocolate with marshmallows."

"With marshmallows, huh? That's pretty specific."

"Well, yeah you can't have hot chocolate without marshmallows."

"I've always had it with whip cream, not marshmallows."

"Blasphemy! I'll have to make you some with marshmallows so you can see the error of your ways." He was utterly serious.

"So then what do I smell like to you?" I asked, intrigued.

"Well, you smell like things that comfort me, of course: Motor oil and Cheetos." I looked at him in horror until he cracked a smile and I tugged on a piece of his hair in retaliation. "Just kidding," he lamented. I kept that hand in his hair and began massaging his scalp with the tips of my fingers, which seemed to make him forget our conversation.

"So, what do I smell like, really?" I asked, again.

He dipped his head down and ran his nose along my neck, giving me goose bumps for the second time that morning. "Mmmm, you smell like the jasmine in my mom's garden… and chocolate chip cookies… and the ocean right after a storm."

"Thank God! I don't think I could live knowing I smelled like motor oil and Cheetos."

"Don't knock 'em. Those are two of my favorite things. You're lucky you don't smell like them or you could never keep me off of you," he joked.

We reached Jacob's house and he put me down by the door of the Rabbit before running inside to grab the keys. The drive to Sam's house was quiet. I had succeeded in keeping his mood up on the walk but now he was back in 'wolf mode' which meant he was seriously deep in thought.

Emily ran out as soon as she heard the car pull up. Before I could even get my seat belt off, she had the door open and was pulling me out. "Are you okay? Did it get to you at all?" Her hands were everywhere, turning over my arms and moving aside the sleeves of my shirt to check for wounds.

Jacob put his hand on her shoulder. "She's fine, Em. Just shaken up. She could probably use some tea," he said, before running inside to meet Sam.

"Of course!" She held on to me in a one-armed hug as we made our way toward the porch. "Thank God, we came home last night. I would be kicking myself if this happened while we were away."

"It's fine, Emily. I'm fine. And there's one less vampire in the world so… yay, right?"

"Yeah, I guess." She pushed me down on the porch swing. "You stay here and I'll get us some tea."

I kicked my legs and gently let the porch swing rock me into a peaceful mood. Emily soon returned with two mugs steeping pouches of chamomile tea.

We sat in silence for a few moments while both of us blew the spiraling steam away from us.

"Hey, Em, what does Sam smell like to you?"

She thought about it for a moment with a wrinkled brow, "I guess he smells like leather and after shave." I watched her face take on a dreamy look. "And sunshine. He smells like sunshine." My laughter brought her out of her thoughts. "Not like I know what sunshine smells like but whatever," she blushed. "Why did you ask me that?"

"No reason. Don't worry about it," I said, still chuckling over big, bad Sam smelling like sunshine.

* * *

**A/N: Once again, fantastic reviews on the last chapter! Thanks for that. I'm so close to 200 reviews I can almost taste it... 200! Can you believe that? If you guys could make that happen for me, I'd be ever so grateful. No pressure, though. :)**

**I had a reader give an amazing suggestion for Anni's celebrity look-a-like. I put pictures of "her" in my profile a few days ago if you haven't seen those yet. Any idea how to change the text of the link to my own text? **

**Also, what's another good site I can upload my story to just in case it gets deleted? I've heard that happens randomly around here and I'd like to have a backup somewhere on the net.**

**Thanks for reading! -AJ**


	26. Chapter 26

All the rest of the week, I wasn't left alone at night. Jacob stayed when he could, insisting on sleeping on the couch but the nights he was on patrol, Embry would come home and sleep in his own bed. I could count on one hand the number of times he'd done that since I'd come to live here up until this week. I eventually asked Jacob about it and he told me that Embry had gotten used to sleeping over at friend's houses when he was a teenager because our Dad had started spending more and more time at the bar and he didn't like sleeping alone in an empty house. Since becoming a wolf, he preferred to sleep in wolf form in the forest with the minds of the pack on patrol to keep him company. I told Jacob that I hoped now that I was here and Embry and I were on good terms, he would want to come home more. Jacob just shrugged and told me that changing a long-ingrained pattern of behavior wasn't something that could be rushed.

On Wednesday I turned 17. I'd never told anyone when my birthday was and no one had ever asked, not even Dad, so it passed as any other day which I didn't mind. I felt a lot older since moving to La Push but that had nothing to do with my actual age.

Finals week seemed like it would drag on forever, an endless gauntlet of report presentations and Scantron tests. Finally, it was 2:20 on Friday afternoon, the last day of school. My last class consisted of watching a movie since the final had already been taken earlier in the week and we didn't have anything else to do. I sat back in my seat with my arms and legs crossed but my top leg jiggled nervously in anticipation, causing the buckles on my black motorcycle boot to jingle. The girl in the seat next to me looked down at my foot and then glared at me heavily. Apparently my lack of patience was annoying her. I rolled my eyes and stopped shaking my foot. Every minute felt like an hour until the bell mercifully rang. I was the first one out of their seat, grabbing my backpack off the back of the chair and weaving through the rest of the kids gathering up their belongings. As soon as I cleared the hallway, I took off in a run and didn't stop until I reached Jacob's front door. I expected him to be home since it wasn't his day for patrol and I'd seen the Rabbit in the driveway. I threw open the door yelling, "Jake! I'm free!"

"Free from what?" a bored female voice drawled from the couch. "Knocking? Volume control? A sense of fashion?" I looked over at the girl, completely caught off guard. She was beautiful. Not in the way that Kim or Emily was beautiful but beautiful in the way that a celebrity was beautiful. Her makeup was done immaculately, her straight, black hair gleamed in the sunlight from the window, and her fingers that were flipping rapidly through a copy of Vogue looked freshly manicured. She tossed the magazine to the ground in disgust, "Honestly, whoever decided that purple is the new black needs to be shot. Nobody looks good in it." She looked pointedly at my black, bubble skirt covered in purple flowers that I'd gotten for $5 at a vintage shop in SoHo.

I chose to ignore the verbal jab. "Uh… who are you? Where's Jake?"

She scoffed, "Who am _I_? You barge into _my_ house and then you have the audacity to ask who I am? Sadly, I don't even have to ask who you are. You're the Replacement Daughter."

I remembered Jacob mentioning his sister who went to college and now that school was out, she must be back for the summer. I wished that I'd paid more attention to what her name was. "Replacement daughter?" I asked, warily. My backpack was getting heavy and I really wanted to put it down but I still didn't know if Jacob was even here and if he wasn't, there was no way I was going to stay here with his hostile sister and wait for him.

"Yeah, every time I've called home this year, all my Dad has talked about is you. Blah blah blah Annika this. Blah blah blah Annika that. It's seriously annoying. Obviously, he hates how little I come home so he's picked out a replacement daughter to punish me and he got his son to date her so it could really be official. Quite a cozy little arrangement." Her voice was dripping with acid.

I shifted my weight self-consciously under her disapproving gaze. "Um, I'm sorry?" I really wanted to tell her to shut the hell up and come home more if she loved her Dad so much that she was jealous of my spending time with him but I couldn't bring myself to disrespect Billy's daughter and Jacob's sister that way. "Is Jake here?" I asked again, trying to keep the edge off my voice but desperately not wanting to spend any more time with this chick than I had to. I could feel that the longer I stayed here, the harder it would be to hold my tongue.

She rolled her eyes, annoyed that I wasn't going to play her game, and picked up another magazine from the stack next to her. "He's in the shower."

"Thanks," I said flatly. I started to walk across the living room so I could wait for Jacob in his bedroom but apparently she wasn't done with me.

"Oh, are you going to his bedroom? Apparently the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Everybody knows your mom was a trampy pale-face but it must have slipped my mind because I didn't think you would look so white. You definitely don't fit in around here." She kept her eyes on the new magazine but smirked in a satisfied way, knowing she had hit a nerve.

I stopped in my tracks, letting my jaw fall open at her audacity. My blood was beginning to boil and I could feel a raging bitch fit coming on.

"That's enough, Rachel!" Jacob's sharp voice came from the hall entryway. We both snapped our heads up to look over at him, He was wearing a pair of khaki shorts and pulling a white and black t-shirt over his still-wet hair. "Anni, don't mind my sister. She's just pissed because her boyfriend broke up with her so she can't stay at his house in Seattle this summer like she usually does."

Rachel jumped up from the couch and threw her magazine at him but he dodged it easily and it hit the wall harmlessly and fluttered to the floor. "He did not break up with me! I told you, his band is going on tour! You are such an asshole!" She sounded pissed but I could hear her voice crack a little like she might burst into tears. She whirled back around in my direction and made it a point to shove me out of her way as she stormed out the front door. "See you later, RD… unless you get knocked up and take off in the middle of the night." She slammed the door as hard as she could behind her and the action made the whole little house shake violently.

"Wow!" I said, sarcastically, after regaining my balance. "She's pleasant. I bet you miss having her around."

"I'm really sorry about that," Jacob said, walking over to me. "I don't know why she has to be such a bitch to everyone all the time. She's had a permanent case of PMS since Mom died and Rebecca got married and moved to Hawaii. They were all really close… but that's no excuse. I'll tell her she can't talk to you that way and if she won't listen to me, she'll have to listen to Dad." He stopped in front of me and changed the subject. "So, I hear you're free. Does that mean we can start our summer of fun together?"

I could only nod under his sexy gaze as he moved closer and tilted his head down to mine. The kiss was soft and sweet and I vaguely registered Jacob's hands removing me from the burden of my backpack and the soft 'thud' as it hit floor.

"I'm all yours," I murmured against his lips.

Jacob growled softly in the back of his throat as his hands moved down to the back of my thighs. "Yes, you are." He lifted me up and wrapped my legs around his waist, deepening our kiss and walking forward until my back hit the solid wood of the door. I let my hands roam freely across his shoulders and through his hair, feeling the wet silkiness of it. He still hadn't cut it off and I kind of hoped he wouldn't. One of his hands was holding me securely under my ass but the other had slipped under the back of my shirt and was gradually moving higher and higher. When he hit the clasp of my bra, his fingers slipped around it and then paused. I held my breath through our kiss, my heart pounding, while he decided if he wanted to take this further. After a beat or two of my heart, he took his hand out of my shirt and give me one quick, final kiss. "You shouldn't let me get so carried away with you. You can tell me no, you know. I promise I won't get upset or anything."

I almost laughed out loud. I should want to tell him when to stop but I didn't want him to stop, ever. That was probably going to end up being a problem in the near future. "Didn't you hear?" I said lightly, "The trampy apple doesn't fall far from the trampy tree."

He shook his head. "She should not have said that to you. That was bad, even for her. People don't think about you like that now that they've gotten to know you. At least not anybody who matters." It was nice that he was trying to reassure me but I knew of plenty of people on the rez who thought exactly that of me and they weren't at all happy that I was dating one of La Push's favorite sons and effectively ruining him for any future _real_ Quileute girl. "But… if you had to be an apple, you would be a Golden Delicious." Jacob playfully sank his teeth lightly into my bare shoulder for a moment, his tongue was hot and rough on my skin and I made a small, surprised noise. "Mmmm… so sweet," he whispered before letting me down. I quickly adjusted my shirt and skirt back to normal positions, feeling his intense stare on me the whole time. "Well, little apple, we have to go to the grocery store."

"What for?"

"We're throwing a TGSO party for you and Kim tonight and we need snacky things." Jacob reached for his car keys on the end table.

"Um… what's a TGSO party?" I asked, almost afraid to find out the answer.

"It stands for 'Thank God School's Out.' Embry, Quil and I use to throw them every year after the last day of school so we're kind of hauling out an old tradition."

"Oh, that doesn't sound so bad. What does it involve?"

He laughed, "What do Rez parties ever involve? Bonfire, booze and babes… only one babe for me, of course."

* * *

The grocery store was practically deserted. I stood on the end of our cart while Jacob pushed it around, occasionally grabbing things off shelves, including a whole array of drink mixers because apparently Paul was buying out the entire liquor store tonight. Jacob kept randomly taking off in a run with the cart down the aisles we didn't need anything from. I would have to hang on for dear life, which turned out to be quite difficult since I was cracking up the whole time. In the chip aisle, I grabbed a bag of Baked Lays and Jacob wrinkled his nose. "You like the baked kind? They don't even taste like real potato chips."

"That's why I like them. They're not so salty," I said, defending my choice.

He shrugged, "Ok, if that's what you want," and proceeded to use his large arm to sweep an entire row of Baked Lays bags into the cart along with the others he'd chosen.

"Jacob!" I laughed, starting to put them back, "How are we going to pay for all this? I think I've got, like, five bucks in my pocket from my Dad and you don't have a job."

Jacob stopped and looked at me, curiously. "You think I don't have a job?"

I bit my lip, worried that I'd offended him. I knew the work it took to protect the rez was harder than any job an average person would have but it's not like he got paycheck for it. "I just know that being on patrol all the time makes having a job impossible."

"Hell yes, I'm on patrol all the time so no, I can't have a real job, but Anni, I thought you knew that we were compensated for our time by the council."

I shook my head.

"Sam convinced them a long time ago that we couldn't effectively do our duty to our tribe if we were busy working to support our families so now we get a monthly stipend. It's no different than the teachers here. We provide a necessary service and we are compensated for our hard work. It's not much but it's enough to be comfortable. Billy and I also sell boats. We sold one this week, in fact."

"You sell boats?" I asked, incredulously. How had I not known this?

"Yeah, I get money from the council and Billy gets disability money so we're pretty much taken care of but boat building was kind of our hobby together while I was growing up so we turned it into a small business. We build boats and sell them for profit. Sometimes I get lucky and find one scrapped at the junkyard and then we just have to refurbish it, but the handmade ones tend to go for a lot more." Jacob was examining a glass jar of queso but he quickly put it back down and smacked himself in the head like something had just occurred to him. "God, I'm such an idiot! Of course, you think I'm broke because I've never even taken you out on a real date. I'm the shittiest boyfriend ever."

Whoa! Boyfriend? The word tugged on my heart and I smiled broadly at him, "Jake, I see you all the time and since you've come back you've been a great... boyfriend."

"Yeah, we hang out but I never take you out. You're supposed to get all dolled up and then I ring your doorbell, and shake hands with your Dad and assure him I'll have you home by ten. Then we go to a nice restaurant, and I open doors for you, and pull out your chair, and at the end of the night I walk you to your front porch and hope for a kiss."

I just stared at him, "Wow, Jake. That sounds…" I paused, unsure about the adjective I wanted to use.

"Nice? Normal? Romantic?" He offered.

" ...Incredibly boring," I finished.

He rolled his eyes, dramatically, "Even more boring than getting pushed around on a grocery store cart in dirty boots?"

I glared and hopped off the cart. "Uh… First of all, I _was_ having fun with you until you got all weird on me and second, my Dad already likes you and he won't be there to answer the door or care if you bring me home on time, and third, what's wrong with these boots? Boots are practical and I'll have you know that motorcycle boots are very hot right now."

Jacob sighed. "What's wrong with them is that I've seen your closet and it's full of "date" shoes that I've never seen you wear and you didn't throw them out when you moved here so obviously, you must want to wear them."

I couldn't argue. That was pretty sound logic. After all, I did miss my heels, every one of them from the ankle-strapped to the peep- toed but I wasn't ignoring them from lack of dates, I was ignoring them from lack of solid ground to walk on. "Then date me." I said, with a shrug. I grabbed a package of Keebler rainbow cookies off a nearby shelf and tossed them into the cart. This conversation was making me need chocolate desperately.

"What?" he asked, unable to keep up with my abrupt mood change.

"Date me! We've got all summer together so do whatever you think it is that boyfriends are _supposed_ to do and you'll see that nothing changes. I'm not going to feel differently about you just because I'm wearing different shoes and guess what... I'd rather have you buy me ten bags of potato chips because you know I like them over a plate of lobster because you think it will impress me."

Jacob had apparently decided we had enough food because we were making our way to the checkout line. He ran his hand through his hair in an irritated gesture, "I should be trying to impress you constantly. I shouldn't just rely on the power of the imprint to do all my work for me. That's lazy and you deserve better."

"Uh, Jake. Have you forgotten that you've saved my life? Twice even. It doesn't get more impressive than that."

"Just let me take you out, ok?" He said quietly, beginning to load stuff onto the conveyor belt.

"Alright," I relented, even though I felt like Jacob's issue was about something more than just wanting to take me out on a few dates, I didn't press it.

* * *

The party was in full swing. A huge bonfire lit up Jacob's backyard and there were people everywhere I looked. Rachel was there and she'd made sure to get in a good glare at me when she came home from wherever it was she'd ran off to... probably out shining her broomstick for her next ride. She made it clear to Jacob that she was not happy he was having a party without her permission but she perked up when she saw a cute guy. They were sitting on a blanket in the grass together and when Jacob saw her, he cracked up laughing.

"What's so funny?" I asked as he handed me a red drink in a clear plastic cup. Paul had just arrived and was setting up the "bar" in the kitchen but Jacob had managed to snag the first drinks.

"That kid is 13," he said through his laughter.

"What?!" I was shocked. He looked at least 18.

"Yeah, he's a new pack member as of two days ago so he looks older than he is. Now the question is… do I tell her or not?"

"Not," we said at the same time, toasting with our plastic cups.

I took a drink and choked. "What is this?"

He tasted his and apparently found it fine. "It's cherry 7-Up and vodka... maybe a little too much vodka. I thought you'd like it."

"It's awful!"

"Then drink some more and it won't be awful for long."

Paul stepped out the back door "Hey party people!" he yelled through cupped hands, making his voice boom across the yard. "Drinks are in the kitchen."

A loud cheer went up from the crowd and people started filing past us to the house. I expected to see Paul go right back inside but instead he just stood there, staring at something like it was the most interesting thing he'd ever seen.

"Motherfucker!" Jacob exclaimed loudly, making me jump. He fisted his drink hand, causing liquid to spill everywhere.

I almost asked what was wrong but instead I looked again at where Paul was staring. He was looking directly at Rachel and she was staring right back at him. I understood then that they had imprinted. Without taking her eyes off of Paul, she pushed the poor 13 year old away from her. He looked insulted and immediately got up to leave. Rachel smiled flirtatiously at Paul and crooked her finger at him in a "come here" gesture. He leaped over the deck railing and practically jumped over the fire to get to her. Now why hadn't I tried that when it had happened to me?

Embry walked by and punched Jacob on the arm on his way inside, "How does it feel, asshole?" He laughed.

Jacob growled at him and Embry walked faster, still laughing.

* * *

It was two hours later and I'd found out that Jacob was right... the more I drank, the better it tasted. I was finishing my third drink, something called a Mudslide. Quil had made it for me saying he thought I would like it. He was right because it tasted like a melted milkshake. I'd been a little bummed when I found out that Emily wasn't coming due to a stomach bug and since Jared had been spending so much of his time working at the bar, he and Kim had been wrapped in each other's arms all night long. But now a general feeling of hazy happiness and content had settled on me as I sipped my drink and lethargically draped myself across the couch. Currently, I was watching Jacob beat the pants off some other pack members at a Poker table that had been set up in the living room. He was gloating over the bluff he'd just won with. Loud voices and the continuous boom of music bass continued on outside and other people drifted around inside, chatting with friends, refreshing their cups, or stumbling around while looking for the bathroom.

"Dude," Sam said, "You wouldn't be laughing so hard if Paul were here beating you hand for hand like usual."

"But Paul's not here." Jacob replied.

"Yeah, because he's playing a whole different kind of 'poker'" Quil said, laughing at his own joke. "Get it? Poke-Her?" Jacob did not find it amusing and he glared heavily at Quil. For some reason I found it utterly hilarious and practically spit mudslide out of my nose. "See, Anni thinks I'm funny!"

"Yeah," Embry agreed, "Because Annie is wasted off her ass. Clearly, she's lost all sense of good judgement."

Quil pouted and Jacob turned around to look at me. "You ok, baby?" he asked.

I nodded, "I feel great! Mudslides are _awesome_. Ooh! Two kings!" I said, catching a glimpse of his new hand. The guys around the table groaned and immediately folded their cards. "Oops… sorry. I didn't mean to say that out loud."

But Jacob just laughed and reached for my cup, "Yeah, I'm cutting you off." I didn't mind, the cup was almost empty anyway.

"Anni!" Leah said, running in. "Someone brought a karaoke machine! You HAVE to come sing with me."

"I don't sing." I said, not really wanting to move from my comfortable position on the couch.

"Come on!" she said, not taking no for an answer and tugging me up by my arm. "Black, I'm borrowing your girlfriend."

"Have fun!" he called, waving us off. Traitor!

"Leah," I complained as she muscled me into the kitchen. "I really suck at singing."

"Here," she said, sitting me down at a bar stool and pouring a clear liquid with entrancing flecks of gold into two tiny glasses. "Nobody sucks at singing after this." She pushed one of the glasses toward me. I felt pretty drunk and Jacob had cut me off but the cup was so little, how much more drunk could I get if I drank it? I raised it up to my lips to take a sip. "Huh uh," she said, stopping me. "All of it, at once." Whatever. I tossed it back and felt the liquid burn down my throat, barely able to taste it. I shivered once and tossed my head. "Good girl! Let's karaoke!"

We headed out to the back porch where Seth was butchering 'Un-break My Heart,' but getting raucous cheers for it anyway from the crowd of people out on the grass around the bonfire.

By the time he was done, I was definitely feeling the effects of the shot. The edges of my vision were slightly blurry and I felt emboldened to sing. If Seth could sing that badly and still get applause, why couldn't I?

Leah told the guy running the machine to play 'I Hate Myself for Loving You' and tossed me a microphone. The crowd cheered as the first beats of music began and the song title appeared on the image being projected onto the side of the house. She took the first verse, shocking everyone with her fierce voice and then elbowed me in on the chorus. Thankfully Joan Jett was an alto so the song wasn't too hard to sing and I felt like I was staying somewhat on key. As the second verse approached, she pointed at me and I shook my head but she nodded and moved the microphone away from her mouth so I would have to sing or nobody would. I decided to just let go and go for it, attempting to be as fierce as Leah.

_Daylight, spent the night without you,_

_But I've been dreamin' 'bout the lovin' you do_

_I won't be as angry about the hell you put me through_

Leah, used the bench to get up on the deck's picnic table and promptly pulled me up with her, much to the delight of a group of guys nearby who began cat-calling and whistling.

_Hey, man, bet you can't treat me right_

_You just don't know what you was missin' last night_

_I wanna see you beggin' and say forget it just for spite_

_I think of you every night and day_

_You took my heart and you took my pride away_

I felt relief as my verse was over and was actually brave enough to start dancing with Leah while we sang the chorus.

_I hate myself lovin' you_

_Can't break free from the things that you do_

_I wanna walk but I run back to you_

_That's why I hate myself for loving you_

When we finished the song, cheers and hollering started and Leah took my hand and made me bow with her. I caught Jacob's eye from where he was standing a few feet away. He was smiling and shaking his head while he walked over. He lifted me off the table and started carrying me over his shoulder back into the house. I tossed the microphone back to the karaoke guy and waved at Leah, who shrugged.

"Seriously, no more drinks for you," I heard Jacob say.

I pouted as we passed through the kitchen, "Come on, didn't you think I was good?"

He dumped me back on the couch. "You know that karaoke scene Cameron Diaz has in My Best Friend's Wedding?"

"Ouch," I said.

"It was cute, though. Really cute but you should stick to art."

"Ok, so I'll scratch 'try out for American Idol' off my list of things to do in the future."

"I think that would be wise," he said, sitting next to me and kissing my hand.

I noticed there were about 12 other people crowded into the room. The poker table had been dismantled and someone was putting in a DVD while the lights were getting dimmed. Jacob put his arm around me and I snuggled up next to him, laying my head against his shoulder.

It didn't take long for my eyelids to get heavy and I was vaguely aware of Jacob carrying me into his bedroom, taking off my shoes and pulling the covers over me. I fell asleep with his scent all around me.

* * *

**A/N: Hello lovely people! I hit well over 200 reviews the first night that the last chapter was posted. I woke up the next morning to an inbox review bomb. It was awesome! Thank you, thank you, thank you!**

**So, I guess I'm showing my age with the 'My Best Friend's Wedding' reference but whatever, I love that movie. If you've never seen it but would like to watch Cameron Diaz make a fool out of herself you can type "Cameron Diaz sings" into youtube and it will pull that scene right up. **

**The boat thing came from the scene in New Moon where Jacob and Paul transform to fight and there's a boat that someone's been working on in Jacob's backyard that they smash. Always seemed kind of random to me so I used it.**

**Change of Plans now has a dual home at the Jacob Black n Pack website. The address is in my profile. I only have the first chapter up because it takes some more work than this one (a little html is involved and I am not at all computer savvy) but I'm figuring it out and eventually I will get caught up and be able to post the chapters on both sites at the same time. If you're a member there, please stop by and say hi and let me know who you are if you have a different name on each site. :)**

**Lastly... who feels a little lemon coming on?!?!?! **


	27. Chapter 27

I was dreaming again. I knew I was dreaming this time unlike the vampire nightmares that always seemed to blur at the edges of my reality. I was in the forest like usual but I was in the middle of a large brass bed covered in rumpled white sheets. I was lying on top of them but wearing a white nightgown made out of the softest material I'd ever felt and my hair was fanned out across the pillow. The sun was shining brightly, filtering through the leaves of the trees like little spotlights all over the forest floor. Specks of dust glittered as they danced through the beams and I didn't have the desire to do anything but lay in the bed contentedly and stare up to watch them. I felt the mattress shift but I wasn't alarmed because instinctively I knew it was Jacob who had come to join me. "Isn't it beautiful, Jake?" I marveled. When I didn't hear a response, I looked over to where I had felt the bed shift and saw nothing but it was right then that I felt hands on my legs… Jacob's large, hot hands. They were skimming up my skin, starting at the ankles. I should have been concerned that I could feel Jacob when I couldn't see him but I wasn't. I just knew I was safe in the inexplicable way you can just know certain things to be true when you're dreaming, even if it's the exact opposite in the waking world. The hands worked their way up my thighs, over my stomach, over my breasts and up to the sides of my face. I felt his lips then, sucking and nibbling on my collarbone and upper chest. I closed my eyes and moaned appreciatively as the hands continued ghosting all over my body, leaving trails of heat. The knot of fire in my stomach was beginning to form and the strength of it grew and spread to my lower body as the disembodied lips and hands continued to caress and kiss every inch of my skin through my nightgown which was slowly inching it's way up my thighs. I felt myself aching for Jacob, aching to feel the weight of his body on top of mine, his lips against my own. Then there was another ache deep inside me, a new one, making me want something I couldn't understand. I murmured Jacob's name over and over while I moved my arms and legs restlessly against the sheets, wishing he would give me what my body so desperately craved but he just continued to use the same gentle pressure. Growing frustrated, I reached out for him in the general area where I guessed his body should be but only got an armful of empty air for my efforts. Without warning, hundreds of birds that had been hidden in the canopy of branches above me took off in flight all at once, making me gasp and sit up straight.

"Anni? Anni, are you okay in here?"

I could feel Jacob's voice pulling me out of my dream and I went willingly. I opened my eyes to find that I was actually sitting up in Jacob's bed and he was standing in the doorway of the room, darkly silhouetted in the light from the hallway. The shirt he was wearing earlier had disappeared. "Hey Jake, are you coming to bed?" My voice was rough from sleep and I still felt the pleasant haze of the mixed drinks in my head like someone had replaced my brain with a cotton ball so I must not have been asleep for very long.

"Were you sleeping?" he asked, puzzled. "I swear I heard you calling my name." He stepped into the room and closed the door behind him, instantly making me blind in the darkness. "Were you dreaming about me?" Even though I couldn't see it, I could hear the smug smirk in his voice and I was embarrassed to realize my body was still ready for him, still aching for something only he could give me.

My adjusting eyes could barely make him out as he got closer to the bed but I knew his supernatural ones would have no trouble seeing me so I tried to keep my face neutral as he crossed the small room. As soon as he lifted back the covers, he let out a groan and then froze. "What's wrong?" I asked, instantly worried.

"Fuck, An," his voice had become deep and filled with lust, "What the hell was I doing to you in that dream?" He inhaled deeply and groaned again.

My face heated up all over again when I realized the scent of my arousal had hit him full force when he had lifted up the blanket up and he knew exactly what I had been dreaming about. "I don't remember," I lied in a mumble.

He slid in beside me and I scooted closer to the wall, making room for him in the bed that wasn't meant for two people. I laid down again but turned on my side to face him and felt his heat on my chest just as if I was standing in front of a fireplace. "You don't remember?" I shook my head, too embarrassed to tell him. "Well, let me see if I can help you remember," he said, huskily. "Did I do this?"

Jacob's hand went into the hair at the back of my head and roughly brought me close for an unexpected, bruising kiss. His lips moved against mine, greedily. I could taste and smell the alcohol on him and felt a tingling thrill when it made me realize that Jacob wasn't in possession of his usual self-control tonight. "No, you didn't," I moaned through my teeth and he pulled back. In my dream Jacob had been unfailingly gentle, even when I begged for more. I knew that the Jacob in bed with me right now was the opposite, ready to give me exactly what I wanted and then some.

"What about this?" he asked, before attacking the sensitive skin of my neck and then running his teeth along my collarbone. "No," I whispered with a shiver. I hadn't realized that I had been slowly wiggling my body closer to his until I felt the hardness of his arousal against my leg.

Jacob gave a moan of pleasure, automatically rubbing himself against my thigh and sinking his teeth lightly into my shoulder like he had earlier in the day. My head spun with the intense feelings of desire he was pulling out of me and for a moment I couldn't concentrate on anything else but the overwhelming need throbbing between my legs. Without warning, Jacob grabbed my wrists and flipped me onto my back. He wedged one of his knees in between both of mine so that he ended up on top of me, completely nestled between my legs, pelvis to pelvis. I was still wearing my short skirt and it had ridden up until it bunched into a ring around my hips so the only material between Jacob and I was my underwear and his worn out khaki shorts. My body practically hummed with excitement.

"Did your dream make you feel this?" he growled in my ear before grinding his cock roughly against me. I was so wet that my underwear slid along the nerve endings of my sensitive skin, catching me by surprise and making me cry out. Through my haze, it occurred to me that Jacob was actually jealous of the dream I'd had, which was absurd since he knew I'd been dreaming about him.

"No," I whispered to appease him. His face appeared in front of my own and my eyes had finally adjusted enough that I could make out the pleased smile on his lips before he leaned into me for another kiss, our tongues moving against each other. He let go of my wrists and pushed his arms beneath me until he was holding me in a tight embrace. I wrapped my legs around his waist as he continued to grind our bodies together, pressing my hips and butt into the mattress. Our soft moans mingled together in perfect harmony. One thrust hit an exceptionally sensitive spot and I bucked against him, tearing my lips from his and gasping out a loud "God Jake!"

This seemed to wake him up slightly and he quickly rolled us both over until he was the one on his back, holding me by my hips while I straddled him. My fuzzy brain was still having trouble keeping up with my body and I swayed above him while I waited for the giant head rush to stop.

"An," I heard him whisper. "I want to make you feel good but you have to be quiet, ok sweetheart? There are still people awake in the living room."

I nodded, weakly, still recovering but was snapped back to reality when Jacob's hands moved under my tank top and began massaging me everywhere, working their way up my torso. I moved my own hands down to the hard muscles of his lower stomach for support. This time he didn't pause when he came to the clasp of my bra, just undid it with a quick snap of his fingers.

"I thought you said you hadn't done this before," I said.

"I have a lot of unwilling teachers," he replied. My bra was now loose enough that Jacob could easily slip his hands underneath the cups without taking it off. He took my breasts in his hands, feeling the weight of them and squeezing firmly until I squirmed above him. When he ran both of his thumbs across my nipples at the same time, I nearly lost it. They were already rock hard, way beyond sensitive and I automatically bucked my hips, grinding myself against his erection, once again.

Jacob grunted and his hands flew back down to my hips to hold me still. "Remove your claws, baby," he said through gritted teeth.

It took a moment for my passion-addled brain to realize that I was digging my fingernails in to the skin of his abdomen. I immediately relaxed my fingers, "Sorry."

"Don't be sorry, I kind of liked it," I could hear the teasing smugness back in his voice, "but I'd rather have you come kiss me."

I gladly complied, leaning forward so that my hair created a wall between us and the rest of the room and resting my elbows on either side of his face. I let my own body weight crush my breasts against his chest. When I began rubbing my tongue against his with a sense of urgency that I hoped conveyed I was ready for something more, I was rewarded with Jacob moving his hand in to the space between our lower bodies and brushing it against my underwear. I bit his lip lightly, letting him know I had no reservations about wherever this was heading and he wasted no time slipping his hand into the band and cupping my mound. His fingers brushed lightly against the slick folds and he abruptly ended our kiss. "God, you are drenched. I did that to you?" His voice sounded sweetly awed but proud and I whispered my affirmative and wiggled myself against his hand trying to tell him without words that I didn't want to waste anymore time talking. I was desperate for him to touch me and he finally complied, slipping one finger passed my lips and slowly upwards until he reached my swollen clit. Electric pulses exploded inside me and I gasped and buried my face in his neck as he began to apply pressure and move the pad of his finger in slow circles.

It was only since meeting Jacob that I'd experienced any sort of sexual feelings and I'd never had the desire to touch myself. If I had, I might have been prepared for this but as it was, everything felt shocking and brand new and all I could think about was how I wanted more. I lifted my head back up so that I could kiss Jacob passionately and maybe drown out my moans. The fire in the pit of my belly began to radiate warmth up my torso and down my legs as he began making slightly faster circles. The ache inside me flared up again and I pulled my face away. "Jake, I want…" but I was unable to finish the sentence. I honestly didn't know what I wanted but he seemed to. The finger that had been on my clit moved down and slipped inside me. We groaned together as he slowly pulled it back out while my walls instinctively clenched in an attempt to keep him in. After a few pumps, he added a second finger and I felt myself stretching to adjust for him. Our eyes met in the darkness and I could see that his were half-lidded in passion. I briefly wondered what I looked like to him but became distracted as Jacob's long fingers slid in and out of me rougher and faster than before. I was practically panting above him, trying to hold back the loud moans that threatened to burst out of me. Jacob watched me intently, biting his lower lip between his teeth.

I heard the sound of a zipper being undone and felt Jacob's erection spring free from his pants and rest against the inside of my thigh. I shifted my weight to one elbow and reached my hand down but I found Jacob's hand already there, pumping in a rhythm that was in sync with his fingers inside me. My own fingers slid across the head of his cock, smearing what I knew was that same clear liquid from before all over it. Jacob's head flew off the pillow as he tried to muffle a loud 'fuck' against my shoulder. Emboldened by his reaction to me, I wrapped my hand tightly around the upper part of the shaft and the head and began to use my thumb to massage the tip while the hand he was using to pleasure himself repeatedly bumped into mine. I could feel every muscle in my body tightening up and I was no longer able to stop the moans escaping from my lips as his fingers moved faster and I rocked my hips against his hand.

"You're getting me so close, baby. Are you close?" Jacob whispered in my ear, his hot breath on my neck making me shiver.

Even if I had been able to talk at that moment, I wouldn't know how to answer. I had no idea what he meant by 'close.' I didn't want him to stop what he was doing but I didn't know how much longer I could handle the sweet torture he was giving me. Something had to give. Maybe Jacob could sense that because he chose that moment to place his thumb back on my clit and move it in the same erotic circles from before, never letting up the pace of his fingers. I was no longer able to keep my eyes open as I felt the fire burst inside of me, burning up my entire body all the way to my scalp. A let out a strangled breath I didn't know I'd been holding and stars exploded behind my eyelids. My body had become a completely separate entity from my mind and I no longer had control over it. My hips began rocking in a jerky, broken rhythm as my walls spasmed around Jacob's fingers.

"Goddamn!" Jacob cried out as his head slammed back against the pillow. His other hand was making quick, short strokes and I vaguely registered something warm and wet hitting my palm.

Neither of us moved for a few moments except to breath heavily. My body, which had become unresponsive and numb, slowly began to regain feeling and I was able to open my eyes. Jacob slowly removed his fingers from inside me and I felt the muscles in my body relax as I sagged against him. "That was incredible," I whispered.

"Yeah, it really was," Jacob agreed. He reached one of his arms down to the floor and brought it back up holding the towel from his earlier shower. "Let me help you," he said.

I didn't know what he was talking about until he reached for the hand that I'd completely forgotten was wrapped around his now deflating shaft. I was curious to examine the gooey substance between my fingers but he cleaned both of us off quickly with the towel and threw it across the room.

My brain was now completely fogged over from one part alcohol and one part ecstasy and my body felt like someone had been practicing light electroshock therapy on me. Jacob lifted his upper body off the bed and wrapped me up completely in his arms, to bring me back down to the bed and lay beside him. "Now that I know what you feel like inside, how am I suppose to keep my hands off of you?"

"Don't. Let's just do that all night, over and over again, ok?" To prove my point, I started to reach my hand down between us to grab him again but his hand caught my arm and he buried his face in the crook of my shoulder. I could barely hear his muffled voice as he groaned and said "I wish I could. You have no idea how much I wish I could but I can't stay."

"No, no, no! Why?" I wrapped my arms around him like I could physically keep him from getting up.

"I promised Quil I'd go do a few laps around the perimeter with him and I know he's wondering where I am."

I flung myself flat on my back, "Ugh! Stupid pack duties!"

Jacob laughed, "I promise I'll be back as soon as I can and if you're still awake, we can go for round two." He kissed my pouted lips and launched himself over me to land on the bedroom floor. I watched him zip his pants back up and give me one last wave before leaving.

I tried to stay awake for as long as I could but my eyes just refused to stay open.

* * *

I woke up in Jacob's bed, alone, with a pounding headache. My tongue felt swollen and extremely dry and it took me a few tries to swallow. Sitting up caused me to grab quickly at my forehead when it felt like a bunch of tiny construction workers had taken up residence in my brain and had decided to do some remodeling with really big hammers. The new angle allowed me to see that Jacob was, in fact, in the room but he was passed out on the floor, snuggling with a pillow. I thought briefly about waking him but remembered our fevered time together last night and that he had to go be out late after that and I decided to leave him alone. I stood up, straightened out my clothes, pulled on my boots, and carefully stepped over Jacob's prone body to the door. The heavenly aroma of fresh coffee hit me as soon as I was in the hallway.

The living room looked like a war had taken place there the night before and the pack members were it's unfortunate casualties. I gingerly maneuvered over strewn limbs and empty cups. The TV was lit up with a blank blue screen and I turned it off as I moved passed. Sunshine was streaming brightly in through the kitchen windows and I immediately shielded my eyes with my hands. Someone pulled the cord of the shade to diffuse the brightness in the room and I put down my hands to see who to thank for that. Rachel was sitting at the kitchen table with a Cheshire Cat grin on her face. Her black eyeliner was smudged all around her eyes from being slept in making her look like some kind of goth version of herself. "Morning, RD. Feeling the burn this morning?"

I ignored her question to ask one of my own, "Where's Billy?"

She looked slightly thrown off but quickly recovered, "He stayed at Charlie Swan's house so they could get up early to go fishing today."

I nodded in understanding, "May I have some of that coffee?"

She shrugged, "What's mine is yours, Sister." I walked over to pour myself a cup. "So, you and Jake are… 'imprinted' the way that Paul imprinted with me last night right?"

Her mouth fumbled around the new vocabulary like a baby foal fumbles around with his first steps. I felt myself blush as I remembered what Jacob and I had been doing last night but I was willing to bet that what Paul and Rachel had been doing was probably a lot worse. "Yeah, something like that," I mumbled, letting my hair fall over to hide my heated face while I took an absurdly long time stirring in my sugar and milk. Coffee in hand, I headed toward the porch. I would rather stare into direct sunlight then stay in the kitchen with her.

"Wait!" Rachel said, "Come sit with me."

"Yeah, right," I snorted, opening the back door.

"Please, I promise I just want to talk to you… I'll be nice."

I wavered. She seemed sincere. Feeling like I was going to regret it, I closed the door and sat in the chair across from her. The table was the only area not littered with trash so she must have taken the time to clean it off.

"So… you've got a hangover from hell." It was a statement, not a question so I said nothing. She was staring at me hard and seemed to be contemplating something. "That's good," she finally decided.

What the fuck? How was that being nice? "Rachel, I don't know what your problem is but I am not in the mood to put up with your shit this morning." I got up to leave again but she reached out and grabbed my arm, causing hot coffee to spill over the mug's edge and onto my hand. I hissed in pain, resisting the urge to throw the rest of it in her face.

"Oh shit!" she said, "Sorry! I'm so sorry!" She grabbed a napkin and rushed to wipe up the spilled coffee from my hand and the table. "I didn't mean that the way it sounded. Please, just hear me out." There was a desperation in her voice that hadn't been there before. Was I really going to fall for this again? I sighed and sat back down and eyed her, cautiously this time, like she was a mountain lion I'd come across during a casual stroll through the forest. She looked relieved.

"I didn't mean it was good you have a hangover because I want you to be in pain. I think it's good you have a hangover because it means you're not who I thought you were."

Now this was getting interesting. "Who, exactly, did you think I was?"

She ran her polished fingernails along the edge of her cup. Her awkward movements coupled with her smeared makeup in the harsh morning light made her look like a kid who'd gotten a hold of her older sister's makeup and not the self-assured college woman she had appeared to be yesterday, "It's just… the way my Dad talked about you made me think you were some kind of prissy Betty Crocker wannabe who would make Jake stay on his best behavior all the time. But last night you seemed… chill."

I stared at her incredulously as I processed what she said. "So now, because I drank myself sick, you all of sudden like me? Wow, Rachel, that's some pretty awesome friend criteria you have there," I said, sarcastically.

"It's not just because you got drunk. It's because you were willing to let go and have fun…. The fact that Leah likes you helps. She and I used to be really close and she doesn't like many people so you must have _some_ good qualities or she wouldn't waste her time. Plus, you were willing to make a total fool of yourself in front of everyone by singing… if you could call that singing. Honestly, it sounded more like a cat being impaled on a fence."

Was this chick for real? I rolled my eyes, "Can you get to the point without the insults? I'm starting to lose my patience."

"The point, little RD, is that I love my brother but between the three of us kids, he kind of got the short end of the stick. Mom died and then Dad's diabetes got worse and Jake was the one stuck here taking care of him while Bex and I went on with our lives. He's had to grow up really fast, you know?" I probably knew better than she did but I just nodded and crossed my arms over my chest. Caring Rachel was really creeping me out. "I just… I don't know… I really think he should be with someone who can help him act his own age and have fun and from what Dad said on the phone, that wasn't you. To tell the truth, I came home with a plan to run you off."

I barked a short laugh. "You can't run me off. It won't happen." I said, matter-of-factly.

She brushed hair out of her eyes. "I know! Paul explained the whole wolf/imprint thing to me last night but even if he hadn't told me that, I would have abandoned that plan. Jake obviously loves you and you seem really good for him."

"Ok…" I said, not sure if she was done. I couldn't tell if this little speech was her pathetic attempt at an apology or some kind of twisted heart-to-heart because now we were both imprints so we had something in common.

"Look, I'm not saying let's be Besties and have sleepovers where we braid each other's hair. I'm just saying I'm sorry we started off on the wrong foot because I assumed things about you that weren't true. So, are we cool?"

"No." My reply was quick and blunt, making her eyes widen slightly in surprise.

She threw her arms up in the air in exasperation like I was being unreasonable, "What do you want me to do? I'll stop calling you RD. I thought it was kind of a cute little nickname but if it pisses you off…"

"Rachel, it's not about whatever stupid pet name you want to make up for me. It's about the low shit you said yesterday. My mom may not have always made the best choices but she was still my Mom and I loved her. You, of all people, should know that dead mothers are off limits so no, we're not cool." Rachel actually had the grace to look ashamed. She opened her mouth to say something else but I cut her off "Tell Jacob I'll see him later. Or don't tell him. Whatever." I wasn't a big fan of keeping grudges but in Rachel's case, I'd make an exception, at least for a little while. I got up and left her there, with her mouth flopping like a fish.

* * *

**A/N: Two updates in a row... my 'thank you' for helping me reach over 200 reviews on a story that I honestly didn't think would go anywhere.**

**Please review this chapter! If you like CoP and you know a thing or two about lemons, please review. I'm in desperate need of feedback! Give me the good, the bad, and the ugly. Ok, maybe not the ugly but constructive criticism will be happily taken... emphasis on the 'happily' because how can you fix something if no one tells you it's broken? If you're not big into reviewing but you have an opinion, some pointers, or just want to tell me that I flat-out suck... drop me a private message.**

**Next up: Anni buys a pregnancy test. I'm not joking.**

**-AJ**


	28. Author's Note

Sorry guys, I know you all want an update but it's probably going to be a little while now. I haven't been updating because I've been busy working on my garden this month and I'm just about done with it. That's not the problem now though. My inconsiderate husband is. When I went to look for the folder with my writing in it today so I could work on it, I couldn't find it. Come to find out that in an attempt to increase our computer's memory, my husband went and deleted a bunch of stuff… including my writing folder. It had the next two and half chapters of Change of Plans in there, unedited, as well as many important scenes from future chapters. Just another casualty of a "What's mine is yours, Baby" marriage. Since I haven't touched the story in about a month, it may take me a while to remember all the stuff that was in those chapters and make sure I put everything in there that needs to be. You can thank my incredibly annoying husband for the delay but I promise that he will be punished accordingly. I know this looked like I updated and I probably get some people's hopes up but I've been getting messages asking where I am from people worried that I've abandoned Change of Plans. I assure you, I haven't. I actually had every intention of getting a chapter out by the end of this week and that won't happen now but know that I'm working on it again and as soon as I get chapter 28 back to where it was, polished off, and edited, it will be posted.

Thanks for understanding,

AJ


	29. Chapter 28

Regret seeped into me as I trekked through the dewy underbrush to my own house. I wish I'd gotten to spend time with Jacob this morning instead of his witchy sister but he deserved a good night's sleep. An image of his face with his eyes half lidded in pleasure sent a shiver through me but I pushed the thought away before I talked myself into going back and doing whatever it took to get him to make that face again. Besides, he'd made it clear that he hadn't wanted us to go that far yet and the only reason it had was because he had been inebriated. I was in no rush to go through the awkward conversational aftermath with him.

The first thing I did after walking through the back door was to throw everything for homemade chicken soup into a pot on the stove and get it simmering. The next stop was the shower. The smell of bonfire and stale beer was soaked into my skin and hair and I couldn't wait to wash it down the drain. I sighed in relief as the water slid over me, easing my hangover just enough to start feeling human again. By the time I had run a comb through my hair and put on my favorite jeans and a clean shirt, the chicken soup was ready. I packed it into an airtight container and then a handled grocery bag for the 20-minute walk over to Sam and Emily's.

As soon as she opened the door, however, I knew that the chicken soup wasn't necessary. It was 9 am but a pajama-clad Emily was holding a pint of Ben & Jerry's with a spoon in it. Her face lit up in a huge grin when she saw me. "I'm so glad you're here!" she exclaimed, grabbing my hand and pulling me in.

"Hi…," I replied dazedly, completely thrown by this cheery Emily who was not at all sick.

"What's this?" she asked, pointing to the bag as we walked down the hall, her taking big bites of ice cream.

"Uh… chicken noodle soup. Sam said you had the stomach flu and that's why you didn't come to the party last night." Obviously, that wasn't the case but I took it out of the bag to put it on her kitchen counter anyway.

Her spoon clattered on the counter. "Is there celery in it?" She asked, her eyes fixated on the see-through container.

"Yeah, do you not like celery?" I replied cautiously as I watched Emily's face go as green as the vegetable. Without another word, she whirled around to the sink and promptly threw up half a carton of Chunky Monkey.

"Holy shit, Em!" I exclaimed, rushing to hold back her hair.

She waved me off. "I'm fine, I'm fine. Just get it out of my sight please," she pleaded, still hunched over the sink like she was waiting for more of her sugary breakfast to reappear.

Panicking, I grabbed the container and ran out the back door and around the side of the house where I dumped all it's contents into the compost pile.

When I returned, Emily was splashing water on her face. "I didn't mean for you to toss it out, you could have put it in the fridge," she laughed, weakly, dabbing her neck with a kitchen towel to catch the falling droplets.

My face reddened slightly since that obviously would have been the easier and saner conclusion.

We stared at each other across the kitchen for a moment before she spoke, "So, I think I'm pregnant."

I gave her my best 'well-duh' expression. "Ya think? I've never seen anybody scarf down ice cream like that and then go all exorcist not two seconds later."

"Apparently, I'm not a huge fan of celery at the moment," she said wryly, "but that was really sweet of you to bring that over Anni. I'm sorry you thought I meant for you to dump it out. Sam would have loved it."

"Speaking of Sam… does he really think you have the flu?"

Emily paled slightly, "He doesn't know yet. I haven't told him because I'm not sure and all he's talked about since the honeymoon is a baby. It's always been our plan to start a family right away and I don't want to get his hopes up and then have it not be true."

I don't know why she looked so serious. "Well, that's easily fixable! Let's just go down to the grocery store and pick up a stick for you to pee on."

Emily bit her lip, "Well, that's kind of the thing. See, Sam's cousin works at the pharmacy there and I wouldn't want him to say anything to Sam before I can tell him myself. Greg's kind of a loudmouth."

I quickly put two and two together and groaned, "You want me to go pick up a pregnancy test by myself?" Just the thought of it was mortifying.

Emily dashed across the sunlit kitchen and grabbed me hand, "Oh Anni, would you? Greg doesn't know you, so he won't have any reason to mention it to anybody."

I cringed but Emily was using her wide, pleading eyes that dared anybody to tell her no and not feel like the most heartless person in the world for it. "Ugh! Fine!" Besides, anybody I knew was still sleeping off the party.

* * *

Not 20 minutes later, I returned to find Emily wearing a path across the living room floor. "Thank God, I drank a huge glass of water and I've had to pee so bad for the last 10 minutes!" She ran across the room toward me, took the small brown bag out of my hands, and kissed my cheek before rushing toward the bathroom calling, "You're the best!" over her shoulder.

I took up her post of pacing across the floor while she used the test but only a minute later she was calling my name. When I entered the small ocean-themed bathroom, I found her bent over the counter with one hand holding her hair out of the way while she watched the stick intently. "Well?" I asked.

"It takes two minutes. Shh," she told me, not moving her eyes even a millimeter.

I almost laughed at her shushing me since I seriously doubted a little noise would impact the accuracy of the test but instead I just joined her.

We hovered over the counter and watched the small stick like two eagles tracking a mouse as a pink line appeared in the first window. My heart fluttered a little, caught up in the moment. "Does that mean you're pregnant?" I asked in the quietest whisper I could manage.

"No, that just means the test is working. If I'm pregnant there will be a line in the second window too," she whispered back, just as quiet.

The second pink line faded in as gently as morning mist but it might as well been a heard of elephants the way that both our jaws hit the floor. "Oh my God, I'm going to have a baby," Emily said in a shocked voice. We looked up at each other for a moment, both stunned into silence and then Emily gave me the most rapturous grin I'd ever seen on anyone. I suddenly understood the phrase 'pregnancy glow' as the look on her face could light up the forest in the middle of the night. "I'm going to have a baby!" She shouted, happily.

I threw my arms around her and we jumped around like two little kids who just found out they were going to Disneyland. But our joy was short-lived since Emily quickly broke away from me mumbling, "I think I'm going to be sick again," before promptly falling to her knees and hurling into the toilet. It was probably the only time she'd ever been glad that Sam had left the seat up.

* * *

Emily wasn't sure when she was going to tell Sam because she wanted to come up with something special for the moment but I assured her that her secret was safe with me before I left.

My body was buzzing with excitement for the two of them but I couldn't help that my thoughts wandered to what it would feel like to find out I was pregnant with Jacob's child. Images of little boys with strong profiles and little girls with long, straight hair filled my head all the way home. Not any time in the near future, of course, but one day... after college... when we were married... and had jobs... and our own house.

My phone was on the kitchen counter where I had left it in my hurry to get the soup to a sick Emily but now it had an unread text message.

JAKE: CAN'T STOP THINKING ABOUT YOU. CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU AT DINNER TONIGHT. P.S. RACHEL'S COMING AND SHE'S BRINGING PAUL. SORRY!

Confusion settled over me before I remembered that the Sunday dinner had been changed to Saturday night to accommodate a drum and healing circle/potluck happening tomorrow. Since I'd spent all day with Emily I had exactly one hour to pull together a meal that would shut up even Rachel's big mouth. Luckily, I had one whole chicken, a can of Embry's beer, and just enough time to make beer can chicken in the BBQ if Jake hurried over to man the grill. I quickly texted him my dilemma and before I could even finish rubbing the spices on the chicken skin, he was breezing in the door, bringing with him the fresh scent of forest. "The grill is warming up," he said coming to stand beside me.

"You're a life saver!" I declared, pausing for just long enough to give him a grateful smile and a quick kiss before turning my attention back to the BBQ rub.

After a moment Jake cleared his throat, "Is it totally wrong that watching you massage that chicken is turning me on?" I gave him a stunned look as he reached down to adjust his erection to a more comfortable position in his shorts. He gave an embarrassed shrug, "I guess I just remember how those hands feel." He moved one of own his hands to stroke it's way down my spine and buried his nose in my neck, inhaling the smell of my shampoo. I couldn't help but close my eyes and sway toward his touch before regaining my senses.

"Wait!" I cried, flustered. "Dinner first, flirting later!"

"Sure, sure" he said, giving me his signature Jacob grin. He grabbed some beers out of the fridge. "Come on, bird, let me buy you a drink."

After Jacob and the chicken were out the door, I put some seasoned red potatoes in the oven to roast and threw together a vegetable salad and a fruit salad. With 15 minutes left to spare I joined Jacob on the deck. He was just lowering the lid after checking on it when he saw me. "It smells really good. What did you rub it with?"

"I honestly don't remember. I just grabbed some stuff out of the spice cabinet," I admitted, sheepishly.

"Well, you better hope nobody asks you to make it again." He crossed to the table and sat down. I moved toward the other chair but he grabbed me around the waist. "Huh uh. I have a better seat for you," and pulled me onto his lap but I turned slightly to the side and leaned against the arm of the chair so I could see his face. The early summer sun was still bright in the sky and it caused the gold flecks in his brown eyes to sparkle dangerously. It was the closest we'd been since the events of the night before and the air became heavy with the static of unsaid things. "Hi," he whispered.

"Hey there," I whispered back as I watched his eyes flicker briefly to my lips before returning to my eyes.

"So, about last night…" he started but I cut him off.

"Jake, please don't say you're sorry or that we rushed things. It's like the broken record of us and I'm getting a little tired of it."

He looked taken aback, "What do you want me to say? That's not at all what I had planned when I walked into my bedroom last night but there was this look on your face and the way you smelled…" his face took on a faraway look before shook his head to clear it. "My body just responded and it was like I could only think with my little head and that's not at all how I want it to be with you."

I sighed, "So you want us to keep our emotions in check and have everything planned out in advance?"

"No! I just want to make sure that you're ready for this," Jacob said, vehemently, and then a little more softly he added, "I just want to be sure you can forgive me for leaving."

I searched his eyes. He was worried that I still didn't trust him and in that moment it felt ridiculous to think that I ever didn't. This man that had saved my life on more than one occasion and had done so much even in his absence to safeguard me from getting hurt. Like I'd been punched in the chest, the wall around my heart crumbled completely and I realized I was looking into the face of a man that I loved and would love for the rest of my life.

I took his face in my hands and looked him in the eyes. "You're completely forgiven and I'm ready for whatever happens next. I've been ready since the moment I saw you and it was stupid of me to ever think I wasn't."

I watched Jake's expression change from one of concern to one of joy as I spoke. "Really?"

I laughed, "Yeah, really. Are you?"

Jacob stopped smiling and looked at me with such intensity that it would have warmed me even in a snowstorm. "Yes," he said with such certainty that it left no doubt in my mind. Jacob's lips meeting mine in a hungry kiss stopped my sigh of relief.

"Just don't leave again," I said, as his lips found a sensitive spot on my neck.

"Not without you," he whispered in my ear.

I wrapped my arms around his neck as our kisses deepened and his encircled me and pressed our bodies as close as my sideways position on his lap allowed like it would never be close enough. My breasts smashed roughly against his rock hard chest and I could feel his arousal straining against the back of my thigh.

It felt like only a second had passed but it must have been more when we heard a manly throat being cleared and we jumped apart guiltily. Billy was in the kitchen doorway and right behind him, my own Dad stood with a dark glower on his face. "That's quite enough you two. Don't need to be putting on a show on for the neighbors."

_What neighbors?_ I thought with a furrowed brow. If there were any eyes to watch us in our backyard, they belonged to squirrels but I didn't push it. "Sorry, Dad." I said, jumping up from Jacob's lap as quickly as possible.

Billy rolled his chair out on the deck. "Can I talk to you Jacob?" It was clear from the tone of his voice that he meant for it to be a private conversation.

"Dad? Will you help me carry some stuff to the table?" I asked, trying to keep the tremble of a girl that had just been thoroughly kissed out of my voice.

"Sure," he said but I noticed the glare of disapproval that he threw Jacob's way before following me. Embry, Charlie, Rachel, and Paul were standing in the dining room chatting and I greeted them with a falsely enthusiastic smile. I didn't know why I felt so unnerved by being caught by our dads. We had only been kissing but they were acting like it was a criminal offense. I tried to shake it off as I carried plates to the table but as soon as Billy came back in, I grabbed the platter for the chicken and hurried out to the deck.

Jacob was standing there looking slightly stunned.

"What was that about?" I asked, breathlessly.

Jacob shook his head in confusion. "Billy is convinced that I've "deflowered" you," he said using air quotes, "and he's pretty pissed about it. He said we've taken things too fast since I've been home."

"Well, you told him the truth right?"

"Yeah, of course but he didn't believe me."

I reached for his hand but a knock in the window interrupted us. It was my father again and his face was clearly telling us to get inside.

It was, by far, the most tense dinner I'd ever had and that included the first one when Embry had hated me and our father had been so drunk he could barely lift his fork to his mouth. Dad kept stabbing his food with his fork and Billy kept shaking his head and sighing. Luckily, Embry seemed oblivious and Charlie kept complimenting me on my innovative use for beer. Paul and Rachel were too wrapped up in their world to notice anything was wrong. At least, they were until we were almost done and Rachel suddenly turned her sharp eyes on me. "So, Anni, what did you do today?" she asked with a smile that was far too sugary sweet.

"Just hung around…" I said cautiously, trying to figure out what her game was.

"Didn't buy anything interesting?" she smirked.

A fist of icy dread squeezed me as I realized what was going on. I gasped, forgetting I had a piece of cucumber in my mouth, and promptly began chocking on it.

"That's enough, Rachel," Billy interjected as Jacob pounded on my back. "This isn't an appropriate conversation to have at the dinner table."

"Why not?" My Dad said, "If everybody knows, why don't we just get it out in the open? I, for one, would like to know just what your son was thinking taking advantage of my daughter."

I had coughed up the offending vegetable and Jake turned back to the conversation, "I have no idea what you're talking about! What is going on?"

I looked around the table to Paul who looked at Jacob with pity and then to Rachel who had the smug look of a cat who'd gotten the cream. Embry look annoyed to be out of the loop, Charlie looked like he wanted to disappear, and Billy and my Dad looked like they were about to start World War 3 in our dining room. I had to diffuse this situation without letting the three pack members know about Emily so they wouldn't spoil the surprise for Sam if he read their minds.

"It's not what you think. Can we please not talk about this now?" I begged.

Dad slammed his fork onto the table, "It's not we we think?" he asked, incredulously. "Then that wasn't you buying a pregnancy test this morning because Greg Uley seemed convinced that it was when he came into the bar this afternoon."

"What?" Jacob asked, turning wide eyes to me.

_Stupid, loudmouth Greg Uley._ If I ever met him, I'd punch him.

"Yeah, how did that little test turn out?" Rachel asked, egging on the situation. Paul elbowed her in the ribs but it had no effect. "And why doesn't my little brother know about it?"

I gave her my best glare and said through clenched teeth, "Jacob doesn't need to know about it because it's not his baby." I'd meant that to imply that it wasn't my baby either but from the stunned silence at the table that's not how they took it. _Damn. Damn. Damn._

Charlie was the first to speak, clearing his throat first, "I'm just gonna go…" failing to think of any place that he needed to be right then, he just gave up since no one was listening anyway. He made a vague gesture toward the living room. "Excuse me."

Charlie's exit seemed to break the floodgates and pandemonium broke out in the dining room. Everyone was yelling at once, at me and at each other. Everyone except Jacob, who just sat there looking at me like I'd just stabbed him straight in the heart.

"Excuse me," I said, trying to get everyone's attention. When that failed, I stood up and said it again. "Excuse me!" Nobody seemed to care that the subject of their heated discussion had something to say. When I heard Rachel mention my mom, little spots of red fury dotted my vision. _All right, enough is enough!_ I couldn't take one more second of the heartbroken look on Jacob's face or the way Rachel ran her mouth without consequences. I grabbed my half-filled water glass on the table and hurled it at the wall behind Rachel's head. I had expected it to smash but the glass was thicker than it looked and it fell in one piece to the floor with an anti-climactic thud, leaving only a sad, wet spot on the faded blue wallpaper. It did, however, have the desired effect and everyone was looking at me expectantly, except for Rachel who actually looked a little frightened. _Good, _I thought with a perverse satisfaction.

"OK, listen. There is a baby but it's certainly not mine and Jacob's. I bought the test for a friend." When they all just stared at me, I emphasized, "For a friend! Seriously!"

Rachel caught on first, "Stomach flu!" she exclaimed, recalling Emily's excuse for not being at the party. "Emily's pregnant and she didn't want Greg to tell Sam!" She looked around the room proud that she'd figured out the secret before anyone else. _Sorry Emily_, I thought.

"Thank God!" Embry said with relief, "I thought I was going to have to kill you for knocking up my sister, bro." Jacob rewarded him with a glare.

"I thought we were going to have to track down Jimmy Lee and kill _him_... which we could still do... for fun." Paul added. "No?" he asked innocently, when I glared at him. How could he think I would sleep with Jimmy Lee? Ew.

I collapsed back into my chair and took a look at a shell-shocked Jacob. Our eyes met briefly and he gave me a small half smile before he looked at Billy with alarm. "Dad, are you okay?"

Billy had his head down and his whole body was shaking. For a split second I thought he was having a seizure but then I realized what was going on. "Billy, are you... laughing?"

Billy tossed his head backward and hit his hand repeatedly on the table in response. He was laughing so hard that tears were rolling down his cheeks.

"Oh ha ha, Dad," Jacob said sarcastically but Billy's laughter had broken the thick tension that had had a hold on the room all night and starting with my Dad, one by one, everyone joined him, including Jacob.

"You all…" I couldn't think of anything mean enough to end with. "You all suck!" But my declaration only seemed to make everyone laugh harder. "Now I have to go call Emily and tell her that all her plans for surprising Sam won't work because she has to tell him right now or risk everyone in La Push getting there first." I stood up, throwing my napkin on my plate and stalked out of the room with as much dignity as I could muster which wasn't much when I tripped over the stupid water glass that had rolled across the floor. I nudged it out of the way with my foot and even though it hit the wall softly, it chose that moment to shatter causing new peals of laughter throughout the room. I made a frustrated sound and continued out the door.

"Aw, don't be mad An," I heard Embry call out behind me but I ignored it.

I found my phone in the kitchen and went on the back deck to get away from the cackling hyenas in the dining room. When I explained the whole night to Emily, she started laughing.

"Not you too," I pouted.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that, Anni, but it sounds hilarious. Did Billy really use the word 'deflower'?" she said, in between laughter.

"It wasn't hilarious and according to Jacob he did use that word. It was awful and now you have to tell Sam right away."

"Yeah... about that…" she paused and sighed, "I kind of told him as soon as he walked in the door. I didn't mean to but I was so excited that I just blurted it out and then I burst into tears."

"But wasn't he thrilled?" I asked, watching the last of the sun dip behind the trees.

"Yeah, he was! And then I threw up on his shirt and he was still thrilled!"

We were both laughing by the time we said goodbye and I felt much better about the whole situation since it wouldn't affect Emily in a negative way. I was considering going back inside when Jacob came out and sat on the step beside me, handing me an oatmeal raisin cookie. "Well, that wasn't awkward at all," he stated, dryly.

"_Awkward?_ I almost get killed by a vampire in my backyard, your sister comes home and decides she hates me and then imprints on Paul and they become the most obnoxious couple ever, the whole town thinks I'm pregnant and I host the worst dinner party since The Donners. Not exactly the perfect start to our perfect summer," I sighed, turning the cookie around in my fingers.

"Well, think about it this way… it can only get better from here right?" He held his cookie up in front of me. "Cheers?"

"Cheers," I said, as I touched my cookie to his.

* * *

**Authors Note: Surprised to see my name come up on your alerts? So sorry for being absent for so long! No time and no motivation is a pretty crappy excuse when so many of you were sending me such nice reviews and asking me to keep going. After a week, this chapter isn't exactly the same as I wrote it the first time and I still feel like something is missing but whatever, here it is. Some good news for me is that when I signed on to my inbox I found out from MnemosynMorrigan that this story won for Best Foreign Author in The Freak Awards! Yay! Yay! Yay! My first award! Thanks to the people who voted for it. It's been kind of a crappy few months and that really lifted my spirits when I read that in my inbox. No idea when I'll get the next chapter out as I haven't even started it but I'm trying. I promise! -AJ**


	30. Chapter 29

"Anni," Jacob drawled out my name with a hint of annoyance. "Quit staring at me, you're making me nervous." He was laying on the couch clicking aimlessly through different TV stations, one arm rest cushioning his head while I perched near his feet on the other arm rest, sketchpad and pencil in hand.

"I'm not staring, I'm studying," I retorted as I brushed the pencil across the page and bit my lip in concentration. Jacob's hair had grown out enough to stay back in a rubber band and he had it pulled back now allowing me to see his entire profile as he stared at the TV screen. Trying to achieve the perfect line of Jacob's jaw was harder than I expected it to be.

"I suppose there's a difference?" He asked when I met his eyes the next time I looked up. I nodded. "Well, how about you _study_ that tree outside the window instead?"

I gave him my most winning smile, "But my current subject is so much more captivating."

Jacob raised one eyebrow, "Is that so?" Before I could even blink, Jacob threw his body forward, grabbed the pencil out of my hand and then resumed his previous position except now his arm was stretched out beyond the end of the couch, holding my pencil hostage. The outstretched arm caused the bottom of his white shirt to ride up, revealing a portion of his tanned stomach muscles. I glared at him and he countered with a taunting grin that silently asked what I was going to do about it.

I let the sketchpad fall to the ground by the couch before launching my body on top of his. Anybody else would have at least let out an "oof" as I landed on them but Jacob didn't even blink an eye. For me, it was like walking into a brick wall, albeit a really warm and sexy brick wall.

Face to face and chest to chest on top of him, I stretched my own arm out to reach the pencil but his arm was so much longer than mine that it was like playing keep-away with a toddler. I groaned in frustration and attempted to inch my body upwards, my fingers brushing against the middle of his forearm. "I don't think so," Jacob said, reaching his free arm around my back to tickle my side. I shrieked and immediately tried to tuck my arm back down but he'd let go of the pencil and was using that hand to keep my arm up. "Okay, now say Jacob is a God and I'll stop."

"No way!" I cried between giggles as I tried to get away.

The next thing I knew Jacob had rolled us onto the floor but using his body as a human cushion for me had relaxed his hold for a moment. I made it about half way off of him when his arm encircled my waist and brought me back so that we were lying on our sides and my back was pressed against his chest. "Say it! Say Jacob Black is a God."

"Not gonna happen," I teased, using the break to gulp for much-needed air.

He resumed tickling my sides with a fervor while I squealed out peals of laughter and wiggled my body in whatever direction I could to try and get away.

The carefree mood changed in an instant when I accidentally ground my backside against Jacob's lap and the erection I didn't know he had. Jacob hissed through his teeth and immediately froze and at that point I could have gotten up if I wanted to but a spark of passion had ignited in my belly and instead I rolled my hips so that I repeated the action.

A split-second later I found myself rolled onto my stomach on the carpet with my head facing to the right, Jacob laying on top of me with his legs trapping both of my own between them. Every part of our bodies was touching but he was leaning most of his weight on his forearms to keep from crushing me. In this position with anyone else I would have felt trapped and possibly terrified but with Jacob it was like being in a cocoon of warm safety. I was at his complete mercy and all I felt was the desire in my belly, growing into a persistent throb between my legs.

Jacob's lips found my ear, "I can't help thinking you meant to do that twice." He began nibbling my earlobe, alternating between biting and licking all the right spots while his warm breath caressed the side of my face. I moaned and wiggled impatiently beneath him, my finger nails trying to find purchase in the worn, green carpet. "There's that smell that drives me crazy. What do you want, Baby?"

I knew exactly what I wanted. Ever since the night of the party I couldn't stop thinking about the way he'd made me fall apart just with the touch of his fingers. I had to know if it was always that incredible or if it was just the newness of the feeling that had made it so mind-blowing.

"Touch me again," I managed to get out while he sucked gently on the tender skin between my neck and shoulder. I wiggled my body against him once more for emphasis and was rewarded with a rumbling growl of enthusiasm from Jacob. I didn't have to ask twice. He switched his weight to rest on one forearm so that the other could slide in between the floor and my stomach. I sighed in relief and lifted my hips slightly allowing him easier access as he popped the button on my grey corduroys and jerked the zipper down. I'd had days to think about this and the need in my body was at a fever pitch. The last thing I wanted was more teasing. On instinct, I parted my legs as much as I could with them trapped between his and brought one arm up so I could rest my forehead against it.

I felt every degree of his 108-temperature hand as it slipped past the band of my underwear to completely cover my mound. I didn't realized I was holding my breath until his middle finger slipped between my folds and hit its mark directly on the incredibly sensitive nub sending sparks through my limbs. I let out the rushing breath with a soft "yessss," that lingered in the air around us. Jacob moaned his approval as he began using two fingers to gently explore me.

"Mmm, so wet," Jacob whispered against my neck. "So soft." He was making those small circles again and every pass of his fingers made my muscles tense up that much more in anticipation. We both knew this wasn't going to take long which was probably a good thing since all someone had to do to catch us was walk up to the front door and look in the window. Jacob's hips began rocking with the rhythm of his fingers as he ground his erection against my ass and I automatically matched his movements with my own. Even with all those clothes between us, I knew the erotic friction was doing the trick because of the low rumbling groans in his chest. He slowly began picking up the pace as my moans for release became more frantic. I could hear his ragged breathing in my ear and felt his forehead hit the spot between my shoulder blades when he said in a strained voice "You feel incredible. One day I'm going to be inside you while I do this." The thought was enough to send both of us over the edge and I welcomed the soul shattering orgasm as I arched into him. It was like all my other senses shut down so that feeling could take over and if possible, it was even better than the first time.

After we came down from our high, Jacob removed his hand from my clothes and we collapsed onto our sides next to each other. I watched in horror as he brought his hand to his mouth and licked his fingers clean like he was eating cake batter from a spoon.

"Gross Jake!" I cried, completely mortified and fascinated at the same time.

"It's not gross. You taste even better than you smell. Next time I'm doing that with my tongue." He ignored my shocked face. "By the way, I didn't know you were a religious person."

"What?" I asked, totally thrown off by the subject change in the middle of imagining what it would be like to have Jacob's hot tongue where his fingers had just been. "I'm not."

He smirked, "So, that WAS me you were talking about when you were yelling 'Oh God, oh God' over and over again which means that despite your wicked attempts to distract me with you body, I still won."

My competitive side itched to wipe the smug look off his face but before I could my phone chose that moment to ring, shattering the illusion that we were the only two people in the world and making us both jump. I looked at him apologetically as we both stood up.

"Go ahead and answer it, I have to go get cleaned up before we leave. Apparently I'm going to go commando to the party thanks to my girlfriend who can make me explode without even touching me."

Jacob threw a look of mock annoyance my way before disappearing down the hall and I dug my phone out of the couch cushion to see Frankie's name and a picture of him in a tiara blinking at me.

"What's up Frankie?" I asked, settling down on the couch.

"Hey princess," I hadn't heard from him in a while and the sound of his voice caused a small twinge of homesickness deep in my chest. "I can't talk long but something happened last night I thought I should tell you."

A prickle of unease went up the back of my neck. "What's that?"

"I went to Ananda's house for dinner last night and when I got there, there was this middle aged man with an accent like your moms asking the new tenants of your apartment about you. Ananda called him over and asked what he wanted and he said he was your mom's lawyer from Sweden and he had a letter for you."

"A letter?" My interest was instantly piqued.

"Ananda said she would give it to you next time she saw you but he insisted he needed to give it to you himself."

Jacob was back in the room and it was clear he could hear the conversation with his super wolf hearing. "You didn't give him my address or phone number did you?" I asked, gripping the phone a little tighter and watching Jacob's body tense up while he watched me.

"No!" Frankie rushed to reassure me, "But Ananda said you were living with your father and if he were really a friend of the family, he would know where that was."

"And what did he say?" I prodded.

"Well, that's the thing. He didn't say anything else. He just nodded and walked off. He was weird, Bananni. I can't quite put my finger on it but something about him was off. His eyes were just blank like no one was home in there if you know what I mean." Frankie's voice changed from ominous to cheerful. "Anyway Love, I gotta go. I met this new guy in the village a couple days ago and we're meeting for coffee. So cute!" Frankie was forever meeting new guys in Greenwich Village. Wannabe musicians with beat-up guitars and ripped jeans were his exact type and there was no better place to find them. "I would tell you to stay safe though I doubt that will be a problem with all those muscular Native men walking around. And on that note… when can I come visit you?"

I laughed, "Whenever you're ready to handle the lack of concrete."

We hung up and I turned my attention to Jacob who was the picture of pissed off. His hands fisted at his sides and I could see a muscle in his jaw working overtime. "Some creepy guy is looking for you and we don't know who he is or what he really wants. I don't like it. I don't like it _at all_."

I didn't like it either but if he was telling the truth then he had something for me from my Mom and I wanted it… badly. It struck me that Jacob had no reason to question why my mom's "lawyer" was trying to find me. I hadn't told him about the suspicious circumstances surrounding her death and he must have been reacting solely to my body language as I talked to Frankie. I closed the distance between Jacob and put one hand on the tense corded muscles in his arm and the other on his cheek. Though he didn't relax the rest of his body, he closed his eyes and leaned into my touch. "If he wasn't asking any more questions than it sounds like he might track me down sooner than later so I guess you just can't let me out of your sight until then."

Jacob opened his eyes and raked them over my body with his intense gaze, pausing a little too long on my still unbuttoned pants, "Well, that's an upside." I tilted my face up and closed my eyes and Jacob eagerly met my silent demand to be kissed.

Before we could get carried away I reminded him of the celebration for Emily and Sam that the pack was having down on First Beach. "Come on, we're supposed to be at the beach in 20 minutes and we haven't bought the soda and cups yet."

Jacob's fingers found the soft skin of my abdomen and my heart immediately started pounding erratically again. I knew Jacob could hear it when he smiled at me but then he did the unexpected and buttoned my pants before brushing his lips lightly against my forehead. "You might want to go straighten up in the bathroom. You have what Quil calls sex hair and even though I like the way it looks, he'lll never let us hear the end of it."

* * *

At the grocery store Jake carried the basket while I loaded it with multiple liters of pop while he pointed out which kind was which pack member's favorite. Surprisingly it was the cups we were having trouble with. There were plenty of paper plates and bowls but no cups. I grabbed the attention of a stock boy walking by. I thought he looked slightly putout to come talk to us or maybe it was just boredom I saw on his face.

"There aren't anymore paper cups on the shelves, are there anymore in the back?" I asked him.

The overweight boy rolled his eyes, "I don't know." His tone implied that he was offended I would expect him to do his job.

I heard Jacob make an angry noise beside me. It would be dangerous for this kid to make him any more stressed out than he already was. He certainly wasn't winning employee of the month but a look from me stopped Jacob from punching him in the face and as there wasn't anyone else around to help me I put on a charming smile and glanced at his nametag, "I'd really appreciate it if you'd go check for me. Please Drew?"

The magic word seemed to do the trick and the boy immediately snapped to attention with a big, dopey smile on his face. "Sure!"

He turned around and literally ran off.

"What the hell was that?" Jacob barked out. "One smile from you and that kid practically wet his pants. Did he really think you were flirting with me standing right here?"

It was strange but before I could answer the kid came lumbering back, panting from the exertion of running when it obviously wasn't something he was used to. In his arms were as many sleeves of paper cups as he could carry. "Here you go!"

"Thanks but I only need two," I said to him.

Jacob took the two off his stack before I could. As we turned to head to the check out line, Drew followed us. "Is there anything else you need?"

Jacob answered gruffly, "We're good."

But the boy continued to follow us like he hadn't heard him. "I can bring anything out for you, just name it."

Jacob was hanging on by a thread to keep himself from throttling the poor guy so I turned around. "That's all I needed, really. Thank you so much but you can go back to whatever we interrupted." I silently begged him with my eyes to just walk away before he could rile up Jacob any further.

The dopey look immediately fell from Drew's face and he looked around like he had no clue where he was. Without another word, he turned around and walked away looking just as bored as he had before.

"I've heard he was kind of a weird kid but that takes the cake," Jacob announced, letting our purchases land on the conveyor belt.

I couldn't stop from staring after Drew and replaying the last few minutes in my head. That wasn't some weird personality flaw; it was like a whole new person had taken over all together. For the second time in the hour, I felt the tingle in my scalp… that subtle prickle of awareness through my body that everything wasn't entirely okay and I involuntarily crossed one arm across my chest like I was trying to close myself off from the possibilities.

I jumped when someone grabbed my hand but quickly realized it was just Jacob signaling me that he was done paying and ready to go. "You okay, Beautiful?"

I tore my eyes away from the direction the stock boy had gone and turned my attention to my boyfriend's face. His brow was furrowed and a slight frown played on his lips, so in tune with my emotions that he was already worried on my behalf though he didn't know why. I mentally shook myself and focused on Jacob, the way he picked up on my unease and immediately stood straighter with his legs apart like he was ready to jump in front of a bullet for me. How could anything be wrong with him by side? I forced a smile on my face. "I'm good, just hungry or something. Let's go." I walked as I talked, completely ready to leave the whole scene behind.

* * *

Everyone was already at the beach by the time we got there and two fires were going. One was the bonfire to keep the evening chill away as the sun went down and the other was smaller and covered with a metal grill. A large pot was on top of it and I could smell the familiar aroma of a crab boil making my mouth instantly water.

"Why are you two so late?" Quil heckled us, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. "Should we be expecting more pack puppies besides Sam and Emily's?"

Jacob had Quil in a headlock before he could get away, allowing Emily to walk over and smack him with a stack of napkins. "You know I hate when you call them puppies, Quil! Knock it off!"

"Okay! Okay!" Quil complied, his voice muffled with the strain of trying to get Jacob off him. "I give!"

Jacob let go, "I promise it was nothing that exciting, just hit a snag at the grocery store."

"Is that a new way of saying you did it in the parking lot because I would classify that E for exciting." Jacob lunged for Quil again but this time Quil was ready and easily dodged him, sticking his tongue out when he was safely behind Sam, who just rolled his eyes.

I joined Emily and Kim as they spread out a large picnic blanket on the sand. I spotted a pile of medium-sized rocks a few feet away and put one on each of the corners to hold it down. "How are you feeling, Em?" I asked as the three of us started setting out the other food and supplies from the grocery bags while the boys got a touch football game going closer to the water.

"A lot better today, thanks," I watched in wonder as she bit off a piece of baguette and then closed her eyes and groaned in appreciation. "This is so good. I never liked sourdough before but when I smelled it in the store, I had to have it." Emily was usually a nibbler when it came to eating so to watch her mow down half a baguette in about a minute was incredible. "Someone please take this away before I eat the whole thing," but when neither of us did, she just kept going. In my opinion, Emily could use a little more meat on her bones.

I took off my tennis shoes and socks and rolled my jeans up before letting my toes burrow into the soft sand and leaning back on my elbows so I could feel the sun on my face. I'd dressed for the evening temperatures but since it would still be sunny for another hour, I wanted to soak up as much of the vitamin D as possible. Emily had either demolished the baguette or abandoned it because soon she moved on to plaiting my hair into a French braid and Kim was fiddling with the antenna of a portable radio that looked like it had seen better days. When she finally found the position with the least static, she sat down beside me.

"Damn," she said in an awed voice. "We have some sexy men."

I opened my eyes behind my sunglasses and took in the scene in front of us. The guys were really into the football game, having moved on from just tagging to hardcore tackling. They'd all abandoned the pretense of a shirt and their brown skin shone a healthy golden in the backlight of the sun on the water. It was easy to pick Jacob out from the rest, as he was the only one who had let his hair grow out and I watched as he launched back onto his feet easily after a successful tackle and high-fived Seth. It definitely didn't get any sexier than Jacob Black. I was overcome with a sudden urge to be the one tackling him and I was pretty sure Kim felt the same by the way she was looking at Jared. I mumbled an agreement.

"So, have you guys done it yet?" Kim asked, barely containing a giggle.

Someone snorted behind us, causing Emily to jump and jerk my hair with her fingers. "My God, Kim! We're not 13 here. If you can't even say the word sex then you definitely shouldn't be having it." Leah had just joined us fresh off her shift from work judging by her coffee splattered Nikes and Rachel was with her. "And the answer is no but they've done other stuff judging by the way Jake has started trying to remember AC/DC lyrics to keep his mind from wandering when he's a wolf. It's pretty hilarious, actually. You should reward him for trying so hard, An. Poor guy."

Rachel covered her ears, "I so don't want to hear any of this! That's my little brother you're talking about."

This was the exact situation that I had expected to be embarrassed by but I was surprised to find out that I wasn't. Something about the way Leah was so matter-of-fact about it, made it not such a big deal. She sat down next to me and grabbed a bag of chips. Rachel moved closer to the football action to cheer on Paul.

Emily's fingers undid the messed up braid and started over but I could feel the tension in them. "Hi Leah," she said tentatively.

Leah looked up briefly and smiled, "Hey, congratulations on the little bun," and then turned back around. It was short but it was genuine and I immediately felt Emily relax. I reached up and gave her wrist a squeeze. In Emily's opinion, all she needed to make her life perfect was her best friend/cousin back and now with that tiny olive-branch of a smile extended to her, I knew she had hope. She finished my braid and circled the end a few times with a small piece of leather before tying a small knot to keep it from coming undone.

At one point, a group of Forks girls wandered by, giggling behind their hands and pointing out different members of the packs they thought were cute. I thought Rachel was going to blow her top when one of the girls called out to Paul like she knew him but it ended up being Kim who yelled at them to find their own men. The girls looked offended but moved a farther distance away and when the guys didn't pay them any notice, they eventually left.

The sun was getting lower and the sky was beginning to take on orange and indigo tones. This seemed to be the signal for the guys to pack in the game and within seconds they surrounded us. Jared swept Kim up into his arms like she weighed nothing. "I scored the winning touchdown, what's my reward?" She leaned forward and whispered something in his ear that I couldn't hear but the rest of the pack did and a chorus of 'Get a rooms' and catcalls rang out.

Dinner was a low-key affair, everyone spread out in the sand, using their fingers to crack and peel back the crab shells to get to the broth infused meat. By the time we were done, the sun had completely set but between the bonfire and the full moon, there was plenty of light to see by. Jacob was leaning contentedly against a piece of driftwood and I sat between his legs and leaned against his chest enjoying the gentle rise and fall of his even breathing as we watched the waves crash against the sand. Seth and Embry were engrossed in a game of War with a worn-out deck of cards, Sam and Emily had drifted a little ways away and were slow dancing to music only they could hear, and Paul was dragging Rachel towards us with purposeful strides. I sat up a little straighter and nervously tucked my hair behind my ear, not at all happy with what was sure to be another unpleasant confrontation with my current least-favorite person.

Eventually they both stood in front of us saying nothing and I raised my eyebrows, expectantly. Paul nudged Rachel forward gently and she sighed. "Anni, I'm sorry for the other night."

"Ok…" I said after a pause, wondering if that was all she was going to say.

Paul nudged her again and she gave him a quick glare before looking back at me. "It was rude of me to call you out in front of everybody like that and I'm sorry for ruining dinner when you were nice enough to let us be there."

"Um, thanks for the apology," I offered, proud that I had managed to not say anything rude.

Paul nodded and Rachel looked relieved to be done. As they turned to walk away Jake couldn't resist needling her a little, "You know Rachel... if you stop being a bitch, you also get to stop apologizing for it. Just something to think about."

She flipped him off over her shoulder without turning around and I felt Jake's chest rumble with silent laughter.

"Will you go for a walk with me?" he whispered in my ear a minute later. I nodded immediately and we stood up, brushing sand from our clothes.

Instinctively our fingers entwined as he led me along the beach. It was low tide and we took the easy route of walking along the strip of hard-packed still-wet sand. Every once in a while we'd pass a little tide pool that the moon bathed with silvery light and turned into a paradise for the tiny-nocturnal crabs that scuttled back and forth.

After about 10 minutes we were completely out of sight of the rest of our party. Jacob brushed a kiss along the back of my hand and then turned to face me. "I have something for you." I studied his jittery movements as he reached into his pocket to pull something out. Was Jacob actually nervous? I couldn't see what was in his hand until he opened it up and used his other hand to gently untangle a delicate chain that dangled a silver charm on the end. It was swaying too much to allow me to see it clearly so I used my fingers to stop it and leaned in closer so I could make it out the design in the dark. The charm had two Native American birds carved into it with their necks twisted around so their beaks could touch and form a heart. "I know, it's nothing fancy but-"

"It's stunning, Jacob," I breathed in awe, cutting him off. "Where did you get it? You shouldn't have spent the money."

"I didn't spend any money. It belonged to my mother."

I straightened up immediately and tried to push his hand away, "I can't take that. It's beautiful and it should go to one of your sisters."

Jacob frowned, "No, it shouldn't. This is the first thing my Dad gave to my Mom when he knew he loved her and that's why I'm giving it to you."

My head snapped up, not quit believing what I was hearing, "You love me?"

Jacob's face softened, "Well, yeah. Actually, I don't just love you; I'm in love with you. I didn't think you'd be so surprised by that."

I rushed my words, not wanting him to think I was unhappy with his revelation, "I admit I'm a little surprised. We had kind of a rough start, I thought it would take a while for you to feel that for me, let alone tell me."

He took a step closer, "My Anni, I've loved you since the moment I saw you lit up like an angel by the fire. You literally knocked me off my feet. I was just too busy lying to the world to acknowledge it. In fact, I've wasted too much time denying what I've been feeling and it may seem like it's too soon but I just can't deny it anymore. My world begins and ends with you. When I'm with you, you're all I can see and when we're apart, you're all I think about." He took a breath and his eyes turned serious, "I'm going to devote the rest of my life to finding new ways to make you happy because every moment you're not smiling is a moment wasted. I don't think there's a better definition of love than how I feel for you." I didn't realize there were tears running down my face until he smiled and wiped them away with his thumbs.

_Jacob loves me…. Jacob loves me!_ A feeling of joy swept through my body with so much force that I had to grab onto Jacob to keep steady. I was so stunned I didn't realize he was searching my eyes with his own, waiting for a reply. I was just about to tell him that I loved him too when he cleared his throat and straightened up. "How about this…" he said looking slightly crestfallen and dangling the necklace in the air again. "You hold on to this and when the time comes that you feel the same way about me, just put it on."

My heart lurched and panic gripped me... Jacob didn't think I loved him back. I had waited too long to reply and he had taken my silence as rejection and not the stunned happiness it really was. Quickly, I reached behind my head and pulled my braid up out of the way. "Will you put it on for me?"

Jacob frowned in confusion, "Anni, didn't you hear what I just said?"

I took a step closer, not losing our eye contact. "Yes Jake, I know exactly what you said. Please put it on?"

Without another word Jacob reached both ends of the necklace around my neck. Our bodies were so close, nearly touching and I took a moment to breath in the woodsy, spicy smell of him. Then I noticed that Jacob was holding his breath and his fingers were shaking so badly that he was having trouble with the tiny clasp. I hadn't realized how much my lack of response had affected him. I rolled up on my toes and pressed my lips to his, trying to convey as much emotion as possible. I pulled back briefly to whisper, "I love you too, Jacob Black," before continuing the kiss. I felt him smile against my lips right before the clasp finally snapped together.

* * *

**Author's Note: Two chapters in a week and this is the longest chapter I've written to far! I was really excited to write this one because Jake and Anni finally express their L-O-V-E. I'd like to thank all the readers who stuck with the story and left reviews even though I was absent for so long. I can't believe it but the 16th of December is the one year anniversary of this story and I've almost written 100,000 words. It's also almost reached 300 reviews. No pressure... but maybe you guys could make that happen for me as kind of an anniversary present? ;) I'd love to hear what people's favorite part of the story has been so far! -AJ**


	31. Chapter 30

**A/N: I don't like to do notes before chapters but I have to say that yes, this is a NEW chapter 30. I realized that I had actually skipped labeling a chapter 29. So the last updated chapter I wrote almost a year ago got demoted from 30 to 29 and this is the ACTUAL Chapter 30 and it's brand-spanking new!**

* * *

Even though I had told Jake repeatedly that he didn't need to take me on a fancy date to impress me I couldn't seem to change his mind about planning a big date night. Tonight was that night and I had strict orders to wear my favorite pair of heels, even if he had to carry me everywhere. So here I sat, waist-deep in shoes, trying to pick out the perfect pair and finding it as impossible as a mother trying to decide which kid is her favorite. There was a knock at the front and I heard Embry get up from the couch to answer it. My eyes flew to the clock. Crap, he was so early! Oh well, Jake said he wanted the full date experience so he could just sit out there and wait for me to be ready like every other guy picking up a girl. However, to my surprise I heard a female voice saying, "Knock knock," and without waiting for a reply Leah, walked in.

"What if I was naked?" I asked, pulling the towel I was wearing tighter around myself.

"Oh relax, virgin. You haven't got anything I haven't seen a more awesome version of already," she smirked, gesturing to her own body. "Besides, I'm playing the role of your fairy godmother tonight and I come bearing gifts." From behind her back she produced a very small black bag with the words "Leather & Lace" stamped on it.

"I thought the Fairy godmother turned a pumpkin into a carriage," I said accepting the bag from her, warily, and moving aside the white tissue paper to reveal a very skimpy set of black lace panties and bra that were really quite pointless since they didn't seem like they would cover or hide much.

Leah huffed, "Well, fine… those may or may not turn back into pumpkins if _someone_ doesn't remove them before midnight, happy? I guess I'm really more Jacob's fairy godmother than yours… why in God's name is every pair of shoes you own all over your floor and sidebar, how many of them can I borrow?" Leah asked, picking up a rather sparkly pair of silver Jimmy Choos.

I groaned, "Take as many as you want, just please help me get ready for this date. My brain stopped functioning at least 15 minutes ago." In truth, I was a lot more nervous about this than I had let on to Jacob.

"Alright," Leah rubbed her hands together like she was about to get down to some serious work, "I'll turn around and work on that problem, you just put on your new presents."

I waited until Leah was absorbed in the task of wading through the shoes to get to the closet and then I let the towel drop and used all my brain energy to get the lacy underthings on without the ribbons twisting all over the place. When I looked up from the task I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and almost blushed. Clearly, these were meant to serve only one function and it wasn't comfort but I had to admit, I looked like I should be laying on a bear skin rug by a fireplace in a men's magazine.

Without warning, Leah threw a dress over her shoulder that I just barely caught. It was an all black dress that went down to mid-thigh and clung in all the right places. The sleeves were made of only black lace and gave it a slightly vintage feel. I'd tried this dress on in the store, been convinced to buy it by Frankie and then had never had an occasion, let alone the courage to wear it but now my confidence was bolstered by pretty lingerie so I slipped it on over my head and used the mirror to adjust it. It fit like a glove. I heard Leah let out a low whistle, "These are some Fuck Me Shoes if I've ever seen them and you're definitely wearing these tonight." She had picked out a pair of black pumps with red corset-ribbon up the back. I almost protested that it was too much but Leah shoved them into my hands and stated that since she had been right so far, who was I to argue? "Where did you get all these amazing clothes and why don't you ever wear them?"

I shrugged, "I lived in New York, that's how I dressed there but I blended in. Could you imagine me walking down the streets here in these clothes all the time? They'd kick me off the reservation."

Leah frowned as she ran her fingers over a cropped, leather motorcycle jacket, "I want to go there. Well, actually, I'd settle for just about anywhere else. Do you miss it?"

I looked up from rubbing lotion on my legs, "Sometimes. Nowhere near as much as I thought I would. In Manhattan I had some good friends but here I get to have a large family."

Leah nodded, looking lost in thought. There was another knock at the front door and she went to leave the room. "Thanks Leah," I whispered, before she could go. Leah looked back, stabbed a pointed finger at the shoes to make me put them on before she winked at me and walked out the door. I slipped them on as I heard Jacob greet Embry and Leah in the living room. I faced the mirror, making sure my hair was still behaving since I'd decided to leave it loose and Jacob's necklace was in it's place at my throat. At the last second, I wiped off my pale lipstick color and applied a layer that resembled a glass of deep red wine. With my hand on the door knob I felt all the butterflies of a girl going on a real first date and I had to take a deep, calming breath before I walked out.

"Oh hell no!" Embry declared the minute I stepped into the living room. "You turn around and go find the rest of that dress, Anni!"

"Shut up, Embry!" Leah said, "She looks great!"

My eyes found Jacob. He was standing by the door with his mouth slightly open, staring at me. "You look..." Jacob just shook his head, apparently at a loss for words.

Embry shoved a thick winter coat into my arms even though it was the beginning of July and I probably wouldn't even need the thin black sweater I had in my hand.

Leah rolled her eyes, took the coat back and gave it to Embry, who glared back at her. "Well, fine! But you have her home by 11," he ordered, sounding for all the world like a father we might have had in an alternative universe.

"Yes, sir," Jacob said, finally tearing his eyes off me and grinning at Embry.

Leah walked with me over to Jacob and whispered, "I know for a fact that Embry is on patrol all night tonight on the other side of the mountain. You can thank Sam for that." She patted Jacob on the back as we walked out the door and in a louder voice said, "You two kids have fun and don't do anything I wouldn't do."

As we walked down the steps I could hear Embry scoffing from the living room, "Well, damn, Leah... what exactly does that exclude?" Then there was a solid flesh-hitting-flesh sound as she punched him.

True to his word, Jacob swept me up in his arms as soon as we needed to cross the grass so I wouldn't break an ankle if my heels sunk in. "I do believe you're trying to kill me, Miss Sunstrom."

"Who me?" I asked innocently, "Leah is the one trying to kill you, I was just following orders and wearing my favorite pair of shoes." I straightened one of my legs into the air so he had a closer view. "Do you like them?"

Jacob groaned seeing the bright red ribbon laced up the back of the pump for the first time.

"You look pretty fantastic yourself," I smiled as he opened the door to the rabbit that he had clearly spent some time washing and waxing until it shone. He was wearing a nice pair of jeans, a white dress shirt, and a grey blazer that fit so perfectly it looked like it had been tailored to him so it was probably Emily's handiwork. His hair was pulled back in a leather thong and it looked like he might have used a little gel to keep it back. Safely ensconced in the car, I watched Jacob's hand expertly working the gear shift and finding myself strangely turned on. To distract myself I looked up at his face instead only to find he was enjoying the view down my dress from above. Clearly, the sexual tension fairy had made sure to get in the car with us. I cleared my throat, "So, where are we going?" I asked, when I noticed we were heading out of La Push completely.

"To Port Angeles for dinner and a movie, is that okay?"

"Wow, Embry told me to put on more clothes, he told you to have me home by 11, and we're going to dinner and a movie. Are you sure you don't want to hit the malt shop for a shake with two straws because I feel like I'm in an episode of the Brady Bunch," I teased him good-naturedly.

"Exactly, this is going to be completely textbook, baby. We have to do this at least once and if you don't like it we won't do it again. Though, I have to say, seeing you tonight all dressed up... I mean, you're gorgeous all the time but wow... I may have to lay some other guys out if they stare at what's mine for too long."

* * *

I'd only done the drive to Port Angeles once before but it was even more beautiful this time. The sun blazing lower in the evening summer sky turned Lake Crescent into a lake of liquid gold instead of water. I pressed my face closer to the window to get the best view possible.

"We can go camping out here if you want. Next month it should be warm enough to go in the water without completely freezing and when the sun really sets it turns the whole place purple," Jacob said.

"I've never been camping before," I made a face like I wasn't too sure about it.

"Never? You didn't go to summer camp?"

"Well, I did but it was art camp for two weeks at MOMA and it was only during the day like school," I replied.

"Well, it's not really camping unless there's s'mores so that doesn't count."

"I've never had a s'more," I mused.

Jacob nearly slammed his foot on the brake, "You've never had a s'more? Now that's just child neglect right there."

We spent the rest of the drive with Jacob trying to figure out what other "essential" parts of growing up I'd missed out on and beginning a bucket list of activities he needed to introduce me to like fishing, sledding, and apparently building forts with blankets in the living room.

We drove onto the Main strip in Port Angeles and Jacob parallel parked in front of a remodeled brick building with apartments above and a glass-fronted restaurant at street-level.

"Le Peu Baiser," Jacob said, butchering the foreign language as he opened my car door. "It's supposed to be the best restaurant in town. Doesn't sound very appetizing."

"It means The Little Kiss in French. I'm sure it's great," I smiled up at him as we walked in hand in hand.

"Black for two," he told the somberly dressed hostess with the severe bun in her hair.

"Right this way," she directed us to follow her through the dimly lit room to a table along the wall. Jacob pulled out my chair and then went to the other side while the waitress set two tiny menus in front of us with a flourish and an "Enjoy your meals tonight, sir and madam."

The solid wood table, while only meant for two, was so large that I could barely make out Jacob's features across from me with only the light of the fancy candle centerpiece. To hold his hand I would have to stretch my whole arm across the table. His eyes were the part of him I could see the easiest and for a moment I caught him looking at me across the table like all he wanted to do was throw me down on top of it. The heat of desire ignited in my lower belly, making me squirm in my seat to keep from begging him to do just that.

Jacob looked away first. He picked up his menu and frowned, "It's all in French..."

"Umm, I can read most of it," I said with a quick glance through. "I went to a private school that taught in both English and French."

Jacob cleared his throat, "Well, I'm learning new things about you tonight. Very first date-ish. What is Pate du Canard?"

"Duck liver."

Jacob blanched and continued reading, "Ok... what's Escargots de Bourgogne?" He pronounced every syllable with the painful clunkiness of the American dialect but I had a hard time believing that even the most strict female French teacher wouldn't find it completely sexy on Jacob.

"That's snails in butter..."

"Sweet Jesus!" Jacob's voice was filled with horror and he had probably turned a few shades of green but I couldn't see it across the table.

I put my menu down. "Jake, isn't the taco truck that Kim and Jared won't stop talking about just down the street?"

Jacob continued studying the menu, "An, this is supposed to be a romantic date. I'm not taking you to a taco truck. Tell me what else is on this menu. There has to be something edible... I mean, this is a restaurant after all... humans are supposed to eat here."

I slid down in my seat so that I could stretch my leg underneath the table towards Jacob and slowly began running my heel up and down his calf muscle. "Jake, how is it romantic to sit at a table so large that I can barely see you and eat food that neither of us wants?" I watched him slowly lick his lips and then I stood up and grabbed my purse off the table. "I'm going to track down a taco truck. Are you coming?" Without waiting for an answer, I turned and put as much hip action into my walk as my sky-high heels would allow. Before I could get three steps I heard Jacob scramble out of his seat and his hand was on my lower back as we made our way outside, passing the hostess who had probably never seen a couple walkout without ordering first. As soon as we stepped out the door I could see the taco truck parked a few blocks down covered in chile pepper lights and surrounded by a few small groups of people.

We went through the line at Joppin' Jose's and took our tacos (2 for me, 10 for Jake) over to an iron and wood bench on the sidewalk and ate them sitting with our sides pressed up against each other. It was the complete antithesis of the dining experience we just left and it couldn't have been more perfect.

"thomushedderthanlither," Jacob declared with his mouth full. I interpreted it as 'so much better than liver.'

"Theriouthly," I said through my own bite of food.

While we ate, we used his smart phone to pick an earlier movie to compensate for our shortened dinner time. The sun was as low in the sky as it could go without completely disappearing and the sky was purple and pink with stars that were just beginning to twinkle above us. The small city was alive with the sound of horns blowing in the harbor and couples out for evening strolls. I put my head on Jake's shoulder and let out a contented sigh.

"I would have eaten the snails for you," Jake said, and began drawing circles on my knee with his fingertips. Apparently, watching him do anything with his hands could turn me on faster than a light switch now.

"I know but I wouldn't have wanted to kiss you after," I laughed.

"Oh... so there will be a kiss?" He asked, like he didn't already know the answer.

I shrugged mysteriously but on our short walk to the movie theater down the street we passed a small, dark alley and I grabbed Jake's hand and pulled him off the lamp-lit sidewalk and into the shadows of the alley. It was a move that I would've expected Jacob to do himself but in keeping with the idea of the "first date" he was keeping his hands to himself tonight and it was driving me crazy... which was probably the point. I backed him up into the brick wall and started untucking his shirt from his pants. I just wanted to feel as much of his skin underneath my hands as possible. Jacob laughed and grabbed my hands, kissing the backs of each one. "Slow down, sweetheart. We'll be late for a movie."

_Who cares about the movie!_ I wanted to scream. _Touch me, kiss me!_ Jacob tucked his shirt back in and adjusted himself before grabbing my hand and leaving the alley behind. I'd never been sexually frustrated at this level before and it made me wonder how boys managed to stand it.

The movie was one long torture session. I couldn't have even told you the title of it afterward. The only move Jake made on me was the cheesy one where the guy pretends to yawn and stretch only to end up with his arm around his girl's shoulder. I, however, did everything I could to get Jake's attention and break him out of his self-induced chastity. I nibbled on his ear, I kissed his neck, I ran my hands up his thigh and at one point I even put my hand right on his erection but all it did was cause him to jump in his seat and spill popcorn everywhere. In the game of temptation and resistance, he was definitely winning. All I got in return for my efforts was a smug smile that he wore through most of the movie. _Unbelievable._

On the way home Jacob kept up a steady stream of opinions on the psychological thriller we'd just seen and I tried to keep up but not having watched much of it I didn't have a lot to add.

Back at my house Jacob carried me across the grass, up the front steps and right to the door where he set me gently on my feet. "I had a really good time tonight."

I smiled, "I did too."

Jacob's grin spread across his face, "Good, so does that mean there will be a second date?"

"Who says this one has to end yet? Nobody's home," I motioned to the darkened living room we could see through the glass window of the front door.

Jacob just shook his head and took a step closer. "Can I kiss you?" he asked, almost shyly. Finally!

He looked so earnest, I could only nod. The gap between us closed and Jacob's hands went up to gently cup my face. The kiss he laid on my lips was simple and sweet. He lingered by my lips with his eyes closed before stepping back and smiling. "Goodnight Anni," he said, turned and hopped down the stairs.

"Wait... what?" I said, standing there on the porch alone. "Is that it?"

Jacob threw a rakish grin over his shoulder as he headed across the grass to his car but he still said nothing.

The porch light only allowed me to see part way across the lawn so I watched him disappear into the night and then I threw my hands up in disbelief but could do nothing except call goodnight back to him and fish my house keys out of my purse. Inside I sighed as I turned on the kitchen light and tossed my purse and unused sweater on the table. I made a pit stop at the sink for a drink of water and stood, still feeling shocked that Jacob actually left with only that one little kiss. I knew when he described the typical first date there was only a hope for a kiss by the door but I didn't think that applied to us. At the beginning of the night I was nervous that tonight would be _the_ night and wondering if I was really ready but as soon as I saw him at the front door, all of my fears disappeared and all I wanted to do was be in my bed, just the two of us with the promise of the whole night ahead. Unfortunately, poor Leah's presents had never even seen the light of day. To be honest, I felt like a little kid who just found out Christmas was canceled. Done with my water, I set the glass in the sink and decided to just call it a night. As I walked down the hall I was confused by light coming from under my door. It wasn't like me to leave my light on but in my defense I had been battling a serious case of the butterflies when I left so it was entirely possible that turning off the light had slipped my mind.

I was wrong. As I opened the door, I realized that light was coming from many tiny tea light candles that had been set up around my room. They set off a peaceful, flickering glow and illuminated the handsome boy sitting on my bed, casually leaning against the headboard with his legs crossed and his hands behind his head like he'd been waiting all night for me to get home. For what felt like the hundredth time tonight I was stunned into silence. He must have run to the back of the house as soon as he was out of my eyesight, crawled through my bedroom window, taken off his blazer, and lit all these candles with lightning speed. "Took you long enough," he teased. I grinned and crossed over to the bed where I saw an empty coke bottle laying on it's side near his legs. My bedroom was no longer a clothes-strewn mess so Leah must have cleaned up after I left but forgotten her soda bottle. I went to move it but Jacob grabbed my wrist. "We're crossing Spin The Bottle off your bucket list."

"Um, there's only the two of us," I reminded him, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Do you really think I'm going to let you in the position to kiss anyone else? We're just going to have to make do without the element of surprise." He gestured at the bottle and looked at me expectantly.

I reached out and gave it a spin. It wasn't going to spin for very long on my bedspread but that didn't matter since neither of us waited for it to stop anyway. Our mouths crashed into each other with the intensity that only a long night of heated gazes could produce. Our hands grabbed onto whatever they could and our tongues slid erotically back and forth against each other mimicking the act of mating. My hands fumbled down the row of buttons on his shirt and ripped the material out of his pants in a deja vu moment, except this time I got to run my hands all over his chest.

"Climbing through bedroom windows doesn't seem like a very Greg Brady thing to do, " I managed to get out, when his lips moved along my jawline.

"In keeping with Hollywood cliches we've moved on to the Dawson's Creek portion of the evening. Any objections?" Jacob asked, before grazing his teeth along my exposed collar bone.

"None whatsoever," I sighed with satisfaction as he moved my body to a prone position so he could straddle my knees and remove his arms from his unbuttoned shirt which ended up on the floor. Backlit by the flickering flames, he looked like one of the avenging angels in a renaissance painting. All his muscles seemed more defined and his skin glowed the russet color of his wolf fur. I wanted to run my fingers along every inch of him and taste the salt of his skin on my lips.

"I hope this wasn't a very expensive dress," Jacob declared, shaking me out of my thoughts. It was, in fact, quite expensive but before I could say anything Jacob grabbed the lace at the top and ripped the dress completely from top to bottom, leaving it a shredded mess spread on the bed underneath me. With him trapping my legs, I was laid bare in front of him in only the new lace bra and underwear that highlighted instead of hid all my most private parts. It seemed like the whole world stopped while all Jacob could do was move his eyes across all the new skin he had uncovered. Just when I was starting to feel self-conscious by his silent staring, he spoke in a low, husky voice, "I've never seen anything so perfect in my entire life. I can't believe you're real and you're here with me. I'm almost afraid to touch you in case you disappear or I wake up."

I understood what he meant. A course to this exact moment had been set nearly a year ago when our eyes connected over the light of a dying bonfire and it was finally here. We were meeting our destiny and it was so heavy and surreal it was almost unbearable. "I'm not going anywhere. All I've wanted all night is to be here with you," I whispered.

He lifted hands that were slightly shaking and trailed his fingertips as lightly as possible down my stomach. Goosebumps erupted everywhere he touched and my heart picked up from a pace that was already faster than normal. I closed my eyes against the overwhelming sensations and it hit me full force that this was going to be the most amazing night of my life.

* * *

**A/N: I know, I know, it's been a year since I updated and if you've been following this story for years and actually read this new chapter, how much do you hate me right now?**** I freaking hate cliffhangers especially sexy-time ones but this chapter was getting long (long for me at least) and if I didn't cut it off, it would be super-long and not up before Thanksgiving. I promise, I am working on the next chapter and it WILL be up sometime soon. By soon I mean most likely the first week of December with a slight chance of ****sooner than that. Questions will be answered, secrets will be revealed.** **Oooh. -AJ**


	32. Chapter 31

I opened my eyes to see Jacob smiling down at me, amused by the chill bumps on my skin perhaps. I reached my hands toward him but he moved backwards down my legs until he was completely off the bed, kneeling by my feet. Before I could ask where he was going, Jacob picked up my right foot and gently removed the shoe, alternating to the left leg and doing the same. It occurred to me that clad only in my see-through underwear I was severely less clothed than Jacob who still donned his pants, complete with belt. "Come back," I begged, wanting to even the score.

Jacob shook his head and before I could even put a pout on my face he had lifted my left ankle to his lips and placed a soft kiss there. The warmth of his lips on skin I didn't even know could be sensitive silenced me completely. "These legs have been driving me crazy all night; I think they need a closer inspection," His hands gently massaged my calf and then my thigh as he worked his mouth slowly up my leg and over my knee with soft kisses and the light pressure of his tongue. The farther up he went, the shorter my breaths seemed to become. At the very top of my inner thigh Jacob surprised me by lightly grazing his teeth against my flesh. My whole body flushed and began trembling slightly and I couldn't make it stop. Jacob lifted his head up with a furrowed brow, "Are you cold?" It was a warm summer night and my small bedroom contained the heat of thirty burning candles and the body of a shape shifter; there was no way I could have been cold, despite what my body was doing.

I shook my head, "No, not at all, I don't know why I'm shaking," I managed to say through teeth that threatened to start chattering. I felt like the biggest loser.

"Adrenalin," Jacob stated calmly, now using one hand on each of my thighs to keep up the gentle massage. "It happens to me when I get angry or nervous or feel vampires nearby. An, if you're scared and not ready, we don't have to do this tonight."

"No," I said through gritted teeth, "I'm ready. I want you." I gripped the sheets below me and tensed my body, trying to get the shaking to stop.

"That won't help, you need your body to relax. Do you trust me?" I almost laughed, how could I not trust my Jacob? I looked down the length of my torso into his concerned, brown eyes and nodded with a forced smile. "Then lay back and remember that it's just you and me here and you're completely safe and we can stop whenever you want to. All you have to do is say the word."

"Ok," I responded, resting my head back against the pillow and staring up at the small cracks in the plaster of my ceiling. I forced my hands to let go of the bedspread and lay flat. _It's just Jake... Jake who loves me and I love him and there's nothing to be nervous about. _I felt Jacob's warm hands on my pelvis and his fingers hook under the band of my underwear, brushing against my lower belly. My stomach twitched in response. _It's just Jake... It's just Jake..._ I took a deep breath as Jacob lifted my hips and the black panties slid down my legs, soft as butterfly wings. I didn't see them land, but I heard the whisper of fabric as Jacob threw them over his shoulder and they hit my dresser. It seemed like all my senses were heightened. I was looking forward to Jacob moving back up my body and maybe kissing me. Kissing Jacob was easy, at least I knew what I was doing. Instead I felt his scorching hands on my upper thighs again, but this time they were gently prying them farther apart and a second later a caress of hot breath on my slit. _Oh God._ My mouth wanted to protest but my brain wouldn't allow me. The first touch of Jacob's tongue as it slid against my lower lips nearly made me come up off the bed with a shocked gasp. Jacob's arms immediately curled under my thighs and his hands pressed against my lower stomach anchoring me to the bed. I heard and felt his groan when his tongue made a second, deeper pass and bumped against my clit causing my hips to jerk against his hold. With every sweet, torturous flick of his tongue I sank my shoulders deeper into the bed, squeezed my eyes shut tighter, and arched my back harder against his hold. I went from soft gasps and groans to mewling like a kitten... not sounds I had ever heard myself make but I was powerless to stop them. I definitely wasn't shaking with anxiousness any longer. A warm, coil of pleasure had settled itself in my belly and tightened as Jacob continued his oral assault.

At one point Jacob pulled away from my slightly, "Is this okay?" he asked in a husky whisper.

In response my hands which had once again twisted into the comforter moved into Jacob's hair and pulled him back towards me. "God, Jake, don't stop," I managed to get out. His chuckle vibrated against my clit as he resumed his actions. His tongue was making the little circle movements that drove me crazy. Faster and faster. I was completely shocked by my own reaction of twisting my fingers into his hair possessively and grinding myself against his mouth. Jacob seemed to enjoy my lowered inhibitions judging by the growls he made in the back of his throat. My blood began pounding in my ears so loud I could no longer hear my own cries and my back arched as far as it could as I orgasmed against Jacob's mouth. My body went slack against the soft comforter and Jacob pulled himself up to lay alongside me while the stars cleared from my vision and my heartbeat became less erratic. When I could once again form a complete thought I rolled over on my side and looked into Jacob's smug face. "You look pretty pleased with yourself, Mr. Black," I teased.

"You look pretty pleased with me too," he bantered back. "You're not shaking any more." I caught my reflection in the mirror, my eyes were bright and my cheeks had a healthy glow on them. Pleased was an understatement. I turned my attention back to Jacob and the fact that he was still wearing pants. I moved the arm I wasn't leaning on and ran my fingers down the solid wall of flesh that was Jake's chest. His eyes tracked their descent down, down, down until they ran into the coarse fabric of his jeans. My fingers quickly worked the belt and the zipper of Jacob's jeans and at the same time one of Jacob's hands went around my back and after a few failed attempts to deftly unhook my bra one-handed, he just ripped the back off it completely with a grunt of frustration. I rolled up on my knees and removed the rest of the ruined bra, flinging it the way of the rest of my clothes. Jacob reached for me immediately but I moved away, unwilling to become distracted from my goal of making us equally naked. I tugged his pants over his hips and down his legs but before I could discard them, Jacob motioned for me to hand them to him. He reached in his pocket for his wallet and pulled a small foil square out of one of the openings and tossed it on the nightstand. Huh... all those sex-ed classes and I hadn't even given one thought to safe sex... just sex. I mentally kicked myself. It's no wonder so many teens end up pregnant. At least one of us was on top of it. I turned my attention back to Jacob's now total-nudity. His body was amazing, not at all the body of a teenager but one of a twenty-something gym-head. Every inch of him was hard and sleek with muscles. I ran my fingertips along the ridges of those muscles, starting with his shoulders and letting the flow of them guide my hands over his body like I was reading braille. The biography of Jacob Black. I closed my eyes and read the mountains of his thighs and the valleys of his hips. I listened to the inhales and exhales of his breath to learn where he was most sensitive, passing over those spots over and over again just to hear his reaction. Eventually I opened my eyes, ready for something new. Jacob lay back with his head resting on his arms, watching me and content to let me explore as long as I wanted. His erection lay hard and stiff against his stomach. I reached out and wrapped my hand around it, my knuckles grazing his soft skin. Jacob moaned and I watched his abdominal muscles tense and quiver but he didn't stop me and I continued my investigation of what made him feel good, sometimes squeezing, sometimes running my thumb over the plump head. Leaning down, I licked off some pre-cum and then preceeded to lower my mouth over the warm, hard flesh, pressing my tongue flat against the underside. Immediately Jacob's hips bucked and he pulled back from me. "Baby, I don't think I can handle that right now," his voice was gravelly and strained. "I won't... last very long. I mean, It's not like I'm going to last very long anyway but that would really kill me."

I'd never seen my so-in-control boyfriend reduced to rambling before. It was very cute and I had to resist the urge to fluster him some more. Instead I crawled up his body and lay on top of him, pressing my lips gently against his and feeling his warm arms wrap around me. My hair fell around our faces creating a wall between us and the rest of the room. "Can I try it another time?"

Jacob chuckled, causing me to bounce against his chest. "Yes. Yes, you really can." His lips captured mine and the kisses became deep and intense, one of his hands reaching between our bodies to squeeze one of my breasts, his thumb sliding over the nipple. In response my legs fell to either side of his hips, effectively opening myself to him. I was still slick from my previous orgasm and a rock of Jacob's hips made his cock slide along my pussy and the the head of it bumped into my clit. I began swiveling my hips again and again, recreating the intense feeling and listening to the mingle of our moans in the otherwise silent room. It felt amazing but our bodies were trying to push us farther. Every once in a while the tip his penis would catch at my entrance instead of sliding up and we'd both gasp slightly and have to stop ourselves. After the fifth or sixth time it happened Jacob broke his lips from mine and used his hands to still my hips, "Ok ok ok ok... I'm about to explode." I reached my hand out to the table and grabbed the condom wrapper for him. Jacob rolled me over on my back and knelt between my legs. I shivered in the immediate chill the absence of his body left but it didn't take long for him to rip open the package and roll on the clear material. He came back and lay on top of me, supporting his body weight on my elbows and raining kisses on my exposed breasts. "You're really sure you want to do this tonight?" he asked in between kisses.

"Completely and totally sure," I answered. Putting all his weight on one elbow, Jacob ran one of his large hands down along my thigh and hitched my leg over his hip. I could feel that we were now perfectly lined up. Jacob looked up and caught my eyes, looking for any sign of uncertainty and not seeing any. I smiled, "I love you, Jacob Black."

Jacob's smile turned up a thousand watts, "I love you too, future Mrs. Black." Jake didn't break eye contact with me as he reached down and began to slowly guide himself in to me. Almost immediately I felt the pressure intensely and I had to draw in a sharp breath and squeeze my eyes shut, breaking our connection. It seemed impossible that such a large piece of Jacob could fit into such a small piece of me but Jacob kept pushing himself farther in at a snail's pace and my body eventually gave way to him inch by inch. I'm not going to lie: it hurt. It hurt really bad. It didn't help that no matter how much my head and heart wanted this, my body was no longer jumping on the bandwagon. My instincts kept telling me to pull away from the painful invasion and it took everything I had to lie there and be still instead of digging in my heels and pushing my body back to undo the progress he was making. It took what seemed to me an impossibly long time but eventually Jacob was completely buried inside me and then he stopped all movement. I could feel the blood throbbing in his cock as my walls twitched and squeezed around him, involuntarily trying to adjust. The pain never went away but it began to hurt less and I found myself unembedding my fingernails from his back and opening my eyes. Hovering on his elbows above me Jacob looked as tense as I had felt only moments before. His eyes were now shut tight and his jaw twitched from being clenched so hard. It was obviously taking a Herculean effort for him to be still for me, to let me adjust to the new sensation. My hand went up and I gently traced my fingertips along his cheek. "Jake..." I whispered.

His eyelids snapped open and I found his brown eyes looking down at me, so dark with lust that they almost looked black. "Are you okay?" he whispered back. I nodded and to prove it, I rolled my hips just a little bit but it created a larger amount of friction where we joined then I thought it would and we both groaned and Jake dropped his head into the spot between my shoulder and neck. "You feel unbelievable," he murmured against my skin while one his arms reached up to cradle my head and the other wrapped under my back.

I began running my hands up and down his back, letting him know I was ready to keep going. "Make love to me, Jacob." I was happy to hear that I sounded braver than I felt.

Jacob didn't need to be told again. He started slowly, easing himself out a little at a time before burying himself to the hilt again. I was surprised to find that the raw pain from before had given way to pleasure-pain not unlike getting a really good Swedish massage. It wasn't making fireworks explode in my mind but there was a sense of completeness that I felt with Jacob inside me and eventually the friction of the in-out movement began to feel like small sparks of something really good might have been beginning if my body hadn't also been feeling the soreness of being stretched for the first time. My instincts once again started to take over and I found myself rocking my hips along with Jake as he found a rhythm and wrapping my legs even more tightly around his waist. Jacob alternated between kissing my neck and shoulder and whispering against my skin with his feverish lips. I became completely captivated by the sound of his low, hoarse voice unable to tell if he was talking to himself or me. "You're so soft... so tight..." Eventually, as his hips picked up their pace, the words changed to just a litany of my name over and over intermixed with our moans. "Anni... Anni... Anni..." I felt the change in Jacob when he was close to an orgasm, his hands grabbed me tighter and the rhythm of his hips broke unevenly. His groans turned to grunts and eventually roars as he stopped being careful and slammed himself into me repeatedly. It would have hurt if I wasn't so caught off by guard by how sexy it was to see him so animalistic and out of control. Jacob stopped moving and for a moment everything was silent and then he pulled out quickly and rolled onto his back a foot or so away from me. I sat up and faced him, a million thoughts running through my mind over his weird reaction. Was it not good for him? Did he already think it was a mistake? He was laying on his back, chest heaving with deep breaths and his fingers gripped into the front of his hair with the heels of his hands shoved into his eyes like there was too much light in the room. "I'm sorry... I didn't know I would... I couldn't stop... couldn't control it... I'm such an asshole... did I hurt you?"

I breathed a sigh of relief that the problem wasn't regret. I tried to pull his hands away from his face but he wouldn't budge, wouldn't look at me, "Jacob, no... it hurt a lot in the beginning but it was supposed to."

Jacob took a deep breath "... and the end?"

"No, it didn't hurt. I liked it. _Really_ liked it."

"There's blood," he stated, sounding like he didn't believe me.

I looked down and sure enough where I had been laying was a small circle of blood and suddenly it all made perfect sense. Neither Emily or Kim had been virgins when they imprinted and La Push wasn't exactly a top-notch school system; I would be surprised if they had any sort of sex education at all. "Jacob, there's supposed to be blood when the girl is a virgin."

Jacob's hands came away from his face and studied me, "You're sure?"

I nodded, "You can google it."

He snorted, "So you're really not hurt?"

"Well, I feel like I've been riding a horse for two days straight but no, not hurt in any other way."

"Oh thank God! That would have been really awkward to explain at the hospital."

I watched some of the color drain back into his face. "Did you ever see that movie where the guy's penis ring gets stuck on the girl's tonsils and the whole apartment building breaks into song so she'll sing too and relax her throat?"

Jacob laughed, "Seriously? That sounds like the feel-good family movie of the year!"

While I cleaned up in the bathroom Jacob changed the sheets on the bed and blew out all but a couple of the candles. That night, for the first time, I spent the whole night in Jacob's arms. It was perfect.

* * *

"Jacob!" Someone was pounding on my bedroom door and my eyes flew open. Jacob was already in the middle of trying to disentangle himself from my legs and the sheets that were twisted around both of us. The pounding continued "JACOB!" It was obviously one of the wolf pack, maybe Quil.

"What is it?" Jacob yelled back as he successfully sprang up and began hunting for his jeans. I sat up in the bed, trying to clear the sleep out of my eyes and groaning when I felt the throbbing between my legs that reminded me of my dearly departed virginity. This was far from the peaceful morning-after I had envisioned. Jacob gave up on his search for his pants and grabbed a blanket to cover my naked torso before walking to the door stark naked. On the other side stood Quil, who backed up a step or two when he saw the scene he had interrupted. "Sorry, it's just that guy that's been looking for Anni finally wandered into town." I sat up a little straighter, pushing my "sex hair" out of my face. Jacob immediately turned away from Quil and renewed his search for his pants, finally finding them under the foot of the bed.

"What does he want?" Jacob was suddenly all business, pulling on his clothes.

"Just what we already knew: That he has a letter for Anni from her mother but he won't give it to anyone but her. He's definitely human, creepy, but human and Sam doesn't think he's a threat. He wants you to bring Annie to James Road to come get the letter." James Road was the dead end of the road I lived on. It was only called James Road for the last completely uninhabited half mile where it just faded into the forest. It was like the men who were creating the road called lunch and nobody ever came back. It made for a convenient meeting place for the pack since it was usually deserted and easily accessible from anywhere in town.

"The hell I'm bringing my girl anywhere near that guy," Jacob exploded.

Quil held up his hands in a gesture of peace, "Don't shoot the messenger, dude. I'll let Sam know you're on your way but he's going to be mad if you don't bring Anni. Speaking of Anni..." Quil leaned around Jacob and gave me a goofy smile and two thumbs-up.

"Go away, Quil!" I snapped, throwing my blanket over my face to cover my flaming cheeks as Jacob rolled his eyes and slammed the door in Quil's face.

I lowered the blanket just enough to see over as Jacob turned to me with a serious face, "I'll check it out; you get dressed and don't leave the house until I come get you." He was about to follow Quil but then quickly crossed back to the bed. He yanked the blanket out of my grip and leaned down to take my face in his hands and kiss me thoroughly. "You look beautiful in the morning." He was gone before I could reply.

I dug in my drawers and pulled out a pair of jean shorts and a t-shirt then straightened myself out in the bathroom as quickly as a could. After I pulled on my tennis shoes by the front door, I had nothing left to do but wait and wander around the house, looking out windows. From the position of the sun in the sky, I could tell it was around 9 am. I could see two wolves patrolling around my house but I couldn't make out who they were. About 10 minutes later Jacob came back in the front door and I hurried from the kitchen to greet him. "It's pretty much how Quil said. Sam and I kept trying to get him to give us whatever it is he has but he wouldn't. Pretty stubborn for a frail, old man but he's harmless. We're not supposed to hurt humans so nobody feels right taking the letter by force. You should probably come get the letter yourself. I'll be right beside you and the guy is literally surrounded by pack members on all sides so nothing will happen to you."

I shrugged my assent, if Jacob thought it was okay then it must be and by now, all I wanted was the letter and didn't really care how it got to me. Jacob had me hop on his back and he jogged the way back to the very end of my road. The old man was so surrounded by the pack that I didn't even see him until Leah moved out of the way. Old wasn't even the right word. The man was ancient, his eye lids drooped heavily over his eyes and his white beard was down to his shoulders. He was dressed in a smart business suit with a hat covering his white hair. He was only about 5'5" but he didn't seem at all perturbed to be surrounded by the group of tall, menacing, shirtless people surrounding him. In fact, his face was surprisingly devoid of any emotion and he didn't seem to notice them at all. When he spoke his accent was thickly Swedish and halting like he was searching for words. "You are Annika Sunstrom?"

"I am," I said, sticking near Jacob.

The man reached into his coat pocket and the whole group immediately tensed, not that he noticed. He extracted a wallet sized picture and studied it closely before studying me with the same intensity. "Ja, you are Annika Sunstrom... Good." He briefly flashed me the picture which was my school portrait from the year before. "I am Nels Falk. Mother's lawyer. I have letter. From mother. For you only." He once again reached into his pocket and produced a small, white envelope which he then held out to me. As I stepped up to take it, Jacob stayed glued to my side. As soon as the letter passed from his fingers to mine, a change immediately came over Mr. Falk. It was like he was suddenly aware of his surroundings. He looked up at the towering Native Americans on both sides of him and hedged away as fast as he could. "How am I here?" he whispered to himself in Swedish.

I wasn't fluent in Swedish but I could at least understand that. "He wants to know how he got here," I announced to no one in particular.

The wolf pack exchanged confused looks. Seth spoke first, "Um... a taxi brought him. I think he had the driver wait on River Road." I translated back as best as I could. Without another word, Mr. Falk hurried down the street, muttering in Swedish and checking behind him every few steps to make sure he wasn't being followed.

With the foreign distraction gone, all eyes turned to me and the envelope that I turned over and over in my hands. On the front it read simply "Anni" and I slid my finger along the top to open it. I handed the outer shell to Jacob and unfolded the two white pages crammed with my mother's sloppy handwriting.

**_My dearest daughter,_**

**_If you are reading this then I am dead or worse. _**

_What could be worse than dead?_

_**I **_**_know I have not been the best mother to you. I have certainly kept my distance throughout your short life but I have had my reasons._** _**Now I must share those reasons and unfortunately it has to be done through a letter I send through my lawyer, Mr. Falk. He has been ordered to deliver it to you if I am not around to tell you all these things myself. I hoped that by some miracle you would not become what I am but I also hoped I would be there to help you through it if you were. Now, I must tell you in this letter or risk having you go through a large part of your life not knowing the havoc you could cause like I did. We are descended from the Huldra, a long line of woman descended from Lilith to punish men for their fickle ways. You must be thinking back to the book of Scandinavian mythology I read to you as a child but those were just stories. Humans have a way of attaching weaknesses or telling traits to the many creatures that go bump in the night so that they might feel more secure that they don't exist. But they do exist. So many of them do. Obviously we do not have tails, or hollow backs resembling trees, and we definitely don't turn into old hags upon stepping into a church. But we do have an unparalleled control of the male mind. We can make them do as we please even if what we please is for them to walk off a cliff. **_

My hands had begun shaking as I read. This had to be a joke. I looked around at the others' faces, waiting for someone to say "Gotcha" but no one did. Jake stayed a respectful two steps away from me, giving me privacy but I could see in his face that his curiosity and not knowing what was upsetting me was killing him. The other pack members were openly interested as well but I ignored them and kept reading as the insanity unfolded before my eyes.

_**I never told you this but my mother, your grandmother, killed herself when I was young. I do not know the specifics but I know that it ruined my father... or more likely she ruined him before she took her own life. He certainly wasn't a very stable man as long as I knew him. As a result, I never had more than a vague idea of what I would become at the age of 17. I spent my adult life exploring myths but the first myth I explored was our own. **__**I've seen women like us who used their gifts the way they were intended to be used... punishing wicked men, cheaters, murderers, the unfaithful. I had no interest in doing that. But then I went and did something worse, I punished a good man.**_ I tried not to use my "gift" and I tried not to fall in love with your father because he wasn't mine to love but I couldn't help myself. I charmed him into being with me. Even though I naively and selfishly tried to convince myself that he really did return my love, I think I knew deep down that that wasn't true. He was a good man and I ruined his life. I've carried the guilt in my heart since before you were born. I know this is a lot for you to absorb at once and I'm sorry. If I could have been there maybe I could have broke it to you at a slower pace. The one thing I can hope for you with all my heart is that you never fall in love. I can hope you never know the pain of not knowing if your love is returned or if you have just demanded it into being. I fear the uncertainty drove my mother mad and many other Huldras have met much the same end as she did. _****__**I know I would have if I had stayed with your father. We're not meant to love the good men, we're meant to ruin the bad ones.  
**_

I glanced up at Embry who looked back at me with one eyebrow raised. My brother has spent his whole life holding a grudge against our father for cheating on his mother and accidentally causing her death. And our father blamed himself to the point of drinking to forget what he had done but apparently he was only under a glorified love spell and not in control of those actions at all. I'd spent my whole life thinking my mother was a cold person who didn't want to be weighed down by other people's love but really she was ashamed and felt like she was unworthy of that love. I come to live here and my friends and family and even Jacob end up being shape shifters who transform into wolves to protect the tribe from vampires which end up being the Cullens. And then there's this? I'm a huldra? Was anybody ever what they seemed?

_****__****__**Poor Mr. Falk, I've asked him to travel to Italy to visit me so I could give him this letter in person and I've used my gifts to insure that he delivers it to my exact instructions and not before your 17th birthday when you may become a Huldra. I say 'may' only for the fact that your father also carries a supernatural gene that is less likely to manifest at all and for 17 years I have hoped you'd inherit those genes instead. **_Though looking at Mr. Falk now, I'm worried he may not last another few months. I hope you are happy with Ananda. 

So my mother hadn't known that I knew about my father and she had assumed Ananda would take me in after her death which, of course, she would have. My life wouldn't have changed much at all and I definitely wouldn't be standing here in these woods, surrounded by all these people that I loved. Right now, I honestly couldn't tell if that was a good thing or not.

_**As I stated in my previous letter, my situation has changed in Italy. I have more reason to fear for my life and I needed you to know these things. I hope you have done what my previous letter instructed and I also hope I have not put you in danger as well. If I have, you should find your father. **__**His name is Joseph Call. He lived in La Push, Washington when I knew him. I think he still might.**_ He descends from very powerful people and you might find some protection there. Take care my Annika. I know I haven't been very good at showing it but I love you with all my heart.  


The last words on the page were her signature and the date, only two days before she died. I stared at it for a few moments, not comprehending so many things. The least of which was what previous letter she was referring to. I had never received a letter or even a postcard from her trip to Italy. The only good part of this letter, if you could call it a good part, was that she had confirmed her own murder though it would have been nice to been given a few more clues to go on. I continued to stare at the signature, knowing that when I handed it over, everyone else would know all these things about my mother and I. They would all look at me differently, even Jacob. Especially Jacob. Staving off the inevitable as long as possible I handed the sheets of paper to Sam and not Jacob which earned me a long, questioning look from the man I loved but I couldn't even meet his eyes.

* * *

**A/N: I know the chapter is late, I'm sorry... the kids keep bringing home fun viruses from school. Hopefully it was worth the wait since I gave you a lemon and spilled secrets galore. Merry Christmas! That was a really hard chapter to write because that's where I've been trying to get the story to. Gah! What did you think? I set up a twitter account for this story... twitter(dot)com/ajwildff... so now you can see if I'm working on a chapter, pester me about updating, or ask me questions if you have them.** **Maybe I'll post snippets or clues as I work. I've never used Twitter so it will be a learning experience for me. The penis/tonsil clip is from a movie called The Sweetest thing with Cameron Diaz, Selma Blair, and Christina Applegate and you can find that scene on youtube. It's hilarious and nsfw. On an ironic note, fanfiction was brought to me today by Trojan. Gotta love invasive advertising. Keep the reviews coming! I love them! -AJ  
**


	33. Chapter 32

My hands began to shake even more violently as I watched Sam start to read the letter so I crossed my arms over my chest and gripped my upper arms as hard as I could to still them. I'm sure my knuckles were white from blood loss but in that moment I couldn't bring myself to care. Sam was the kind of person who moved his lips as he read silently and somehow this made the moment worse, more real. My anxiety driven adrenalin kicked up another notch and my teeth started to chatter.

I felt Jacob's hand land on my shoulder with a warm thud, "An, what is going on?" he whispered but I was too engrossed with watching Sam's face to answer him. Sam's eyebrows furrowed, his lips pursed, every once in a while he paused his reading to clear his throat nervously but he never looked up at me, not once… not until he was finished. When he finally did it made me wish he hadn't because my worst fear in that moment came true. In his brown eyes I saw all the alarm and suspicion I was dreading and even though I was somewhat expecting it I couldn't help but stumble backward a few steps under the weight of the truth. Without a word he passed the letter over to Jacob, who gave me one last quizzical look before lowering his eyes to the paper. I couldn't watch this. I pulled myself together and took off running in the direction of my house as fast as I could. It was torture enough to have Sam look at me that way; my heart couldn't bear it if Embry or Jacob did.

"Anni!" Jacob called. He must have started after me because the next thing I heard was Sam's commanding Alpha voice saying, "Stop Jacob! You need to read this."

_No Jake, don't,_ I thought. My heart clenched in my chest but I kept running and I didn't stop until I was standing on my front porch struggling to get the front door open with my hands shaking and my lungs burning for air. My mind wouldn't stop imagining Jacob reading that letter and thinking I wasn't the person he had fallen in love with. That I was an evil creature who had tricked him just like my mother had with my father. I wasn't like my mom! _I'm not! I'm not! _I made my way to the tiny bathroom and flicked on the light switch, illuminating my face in the mirror. I cautiously stepped closer for a better look, turning my face from side to side to see every angle. Did I look any different than before my birthday? Other than my flushed cheeks from running and the wide, panicked eyes I looked the same. But how could I be capable of all those evil things like my mother said and be so completely clueless? _Because you weren't, you knew something was different but you ignored it,_ the little voice inside my head said accusingly. I remembered back to the stock boy in the grocery store when I had needed something and he had gone above and beyond to find it for me despite being completely apathetic about his job two seconds before. I'd known something was wrong then and I'd ignored it, brushed it off like it was just his odd behavior. But it was mine. I was the odd one. I was the one that didn't fit. I'd done that to him. I'd changed him into someone willing to serve me with just a few words. Like a slap to the face I remembered the worshipful gleam in his eye and the image was so disgusting to me that I immediately dropped to my knees in front of the toilet and vomited up the almost non-existent contents of my stomach. Afterwards, I felt hollow as I flushed the toilet, wishing by some miracle I could just go down with it and not have to deal with this mess. I nearly jumped out of my skin when I stood up and saw someone in the mirror standing behind me. It was Leah shifting awkwardly from side to side, a slight frown on her face. Sometimes I forgot that the pack could do extraordinarily inhuman things like be as stealthy as church mice, despite being 6 feet tall and in a creaky house. I forced myself to turn and face her.

"They figured I was safe to watch out for you," she said by way of an explanation. Of course they would send her, she was the only girl in the pack. Most likely immune to my new-found "powers".

"Watch out for me or just watch me? Am I a prisoner in this house now?" She could barely meet my eyes as I moved past her out of the bathroom and towards the kitchen. I felt so confused and angry even though the rational part of me knew that I had no right to be. I was the unknown quantity here. They would be stupid not to treat me like a threat.

"Watch _out_ for you, An, don't twist my words. They're all concerned about you."

She hovered behind me while I stood at the kitchen sink rinsing the vomit taste out of my mouth. I couldn't help looking at the view of the tree line and wondering if Jacob would be out there tonight, watching the house but keeping his distance like he used to. The thought made my heart ache. I didn't want to ask but I had to know, "And Jake…?"

There was a pregnant pause before she spoke, "He's freaked, I'm not going to lie. But he wanted to come after you even after he read the letter. Sam wouldn't let him. He has to stay away from you until this is all figured out. He's really mad at Sam for it too… like tear-his-face-off mad."

I turned to face her then, "How is this going to get 'all figured out'?" I demanded, using air quotes on her words. "It's not like anybody here knows any more than I do and I haven't got it all figured out." A horrible thought occurred to me then, "Will they make me leave?" I asked in a horrified whisper. The thought was unbearable. This was my home. Dad and Embry were the last of my family. Jacob was supposed to be my future. I couldn't imagine feeling the way I felt when Jake had taken off for months but for the rest of my life this time. He sure wouldn't be able to leave here with me, even if by some miracle he wanted to after all this.

"No, of course not," Leah said, but her eyes slid past mine to gaze somewhere behind me. She wasn't so sure about that. Leah's eyes snapped back to meet mine, "I have to ask… did you know at all?"

I stared right into her face so she knew I was being honest, "One time there was an incident…" her eyes widened so I hurried on, "but it was only once and I didn't think much of it. Even though it makes sense now, I would have never in a million years guessed that I was… this." I couldn't even make myself say the word.

"So it's true?" She said with a sigh.

"Yeah, I think so. But I didn't know. Please believe me."

Leah stared hard into my face and she must have been okay with what she saw there because after a moment she nodded and answered, "I do."

My whole body seemed to relax with relief. Leah was a tough nut to crack and if she believed me maybe there was some hope. I sat down heavily at the kitchen table and Leah took the other chair. "So what happens now?" I was almost afraid to know the answer.

Leah began nervously fiddling with the vase of flowers on the table, "Sam, Jake, and Embry have gone to the council with the letter. It's up to them. Everybody else is on patrol as usual."

The council… that meant Billy. Yet another person that I loved who would never look at me the same way again. Along with Kim, Seth, and Emily. Thinking of each of them made my heart sink even lower. I don't know exactly how long Leah and I sat in silence after that but it might as well have been a million years since that's what it felt like. One torturous minute after another where all I could think about was how the people I loved were discussing whether I was a monster or not and not even knowing for myself if that was true. Had I made Jacob love me? Had I just imagined that we had had a connection so I made him feel it too? How could I trust Jacob's feelings when I couldn't even trust my own? Where could we possibly go from here? I remembered every moment together from the beginning that I could and I analyzed them bit by bit, searching for telling words or phrases that might have caused the love we shared to be false. The one that I kept coming back to was the moment on the cliff where I had demanded that he tell me he had feelings for me. What if Jake's interest had only been casual until that point but I'd thrown the switch to change it into something more? But he had imprinted on me before I'd even said a word to him, so how could that be? But what if what he thought was an imprint was really just my interest in him drawing him towards me? Is that even how it works? My thoughts kept going around and around in desperate, dizzy circles. This was getting me nowhere but crazy.

I stood up so abruptly that it made Leah jump in her chair jerking her out of her own thoughts. "Anni, you okay?"

"Yeah, I just need to be alone," I lied. "I'm going to my room."

"Okay, well I'll probably be out here for awhile… raiding your fridge," she replied, settling back in her chair. She wouldn't leave unless someone came to get her. She had her post and she was sticking to it until she was told to do otherwise.

In my room, I threw open my closet doors and hauled my desk chair over to stand on. I needed to reach a box way in the back on the top shelf that I hadn't thought about since I'd placed it there the day I arrived almost a year ago.

* * *

**I know... what a shocker that I updated. I think about this story all the time, especially when I get a random review or message with someone going "Where are you, bitch? It's been a year!" lol My bad. Seriously. -AJ**


	34. Chapter 33

I sat on the bed cross-legged with the box in front of me. I took a deep breath before opening it gingerly like it was a bomb. The only thing it contained was my mother's laptop. If there were any information I needed to know about being a Huldra it would most likely be on here. Despite her stating that that particular legend had been the first she'd studied I knew she'd never actually published anything about it but she'd always kept her current computer up to date with all the files of the research she'd done in the past so she'd always have it all in one place for reference. I lifted it out of the box and easily located the button to open it up. I was surprised to find a piece of white hotel stationary paper folded neatly in between the two halves. Curiously I picked it up and unfolded it. Once again my mother's writing met my eyes. I grabbed the box and looked at the postmark. I hadn't noticed before that it was actually Italian and not German. Since the package had arrived after her death I had assumed that the police had shipped it back to me but now upon further reflection I realized this wouldn't be true. Why would the police send me the computer knowing there might be evidence on it? Of course, with all the things I had to think about after her death this hadn't occurred to me, I'd just thrown it in the moving van to come to Washington with me without a second thought. I tucked my hair behind my ear and turned my attention back to the note.

**I am being followed. I can't even go to the post office to send this to you; I have to send it out with housekeeping. I've stumbled upon something and I fear I know too much but I can't destroy this information. You have to hide it in the best place you can find. Then you need to hide yourself.**

That's all. It wasn't even signed. So this was the note she'd mentioned in the letter Mr. Falk had brought me. Hiding this laptop was what she'd hoped I'd done and somehow just having it meant I was in danger. Thanks Mom. Well, I had hid it all right… in a tiny closet, in a non-descript house, on a dirt road, in a rainy coastal town on the other side of the country.

Whatever was in the laptop that my mom had been working on in Italy was important if it put me and everybody I loved in danger and I would need to figure it out as soon as possible but obviously if it had been a year and nothing had happened then I had unintentionally done my job and hid it well enough that we were okay for the moment. There was the more pressing matter of me being an actual mythical creature disrupting my life and that needed to be taken care of first. I needed to know everything that she had known. I located the power button and pressed it… nothing happened. I pressed it again and when that didn't work I pressed it harder. Nothing. The laptop's battery was dead. In desperation I rummaged through the box it came in once more but didn't find the power cord. My second thought was to try my own. I unplugged my laptop from the cord and immediately saw that the fitting was different and wouldn't work with my mom's computer. I then checked for a disk drive that I could remove but there wasn't any. Whatever secrets my mom had been keeping were locked away tight in this hunk of metal and plastic. "Ugh!" I yelled in frustration, kicking my mostly empty laundry basket across the room. All that information right at my fingertips if only I could access it.

Almost immediately I heard Leah outside the door, "Everything okay in there?"

"Yeah," I replied dejectedly. I would have to locate a power cord for this laptop but I couldn't take care of that problem right this second. I sighed and sat on the bed. It had become dark outside without me even noticing. The clock on the bedside table informed that it was actually past ten. What a difference 24 hours made. Last night in this bed I'd made love to Jacob and it had been incredible. Hands down the best night of my entire life. I remembered how safe I had felt in his arms and how much love I'd seen in his eyes. Now I wasn't even sure if he still felt that way about me. I couldn't help the tears the pricked the corner of my eyes. Tonight I would lay down by myself hugging the pillow he'd used to my face because it still smelled faintly of him. I felt pathetic… and lonely… and scared.

* * *

I slept that night but it was fitful and it seemed like I woke up every half hour. I finally gave up around 6 am and joined Leah who had apparently drank so much coffee that she couldn't stop fidgeting. "Morning Anni," she said as she jiggled her leg nonstop on the couch. I gave her a weak smile and continued to the kitchen to find a mug of my own only to find I had to make a whole new pot. We spent most of the morning watching the Food Network and half-heartedly making commentary on things like Guy's day-glo hair and Giada's massive head. Leah jumped up like clockwork every five minutes to prowl in front of the windows. By noon I didn't know what I wanted more: for someone to show up just for a change or for no one to show up and be able to keep putting off whatever came next. Finally, around two in the afternoon, Leah stopped pacing in front of the kitchen window. "Embry and Seth are coming."

I hopped up from the couch and smoothed out my clothes anxiously even though it was just a white tee and a pair of shorts. "Just Embry and Seth? That's weird."

"It's our brothers," she answered me, simply. The obvious meaning behind that statement being hopefully I wouldn't hurt my own brother and she would never in a million years let anything happen to her little brother.

I joined her in the kitchen as the boys walked in the back door letting in a breath of fresh summer air. There was an awkward, dark pause despite the bright, airiness of the kitchen and then Seth smiled and reached over to tug my hair, "How are you holding up Goldilocks?"

I felt some of the fear flow out of me. Whatever happened next this was still my family and they would love me even if it were best for all of us if I left. "I've been better," I answered honestly. "How's Jacob?"

"He was at the meeting with us but he was getting too erratic and it wasn't helping anyone think clearly so they had to send him home," Seth answered. "Sam still won't let him anywhere near you… yet."

"Not until this is sorted out at least. So here's the deal," Embry declared, "Some of the elders have a theory but we need to test it. Leah, we need you to phase so Sam can watch. He's still at the Old Church with the Council."

The Old Church was exactly what is sounded like: a small, one room wooden structure with a cross on the top that had been built in a bygone era by some gung-ho Christian missionaries looking to convert. It was set apart from the rest of the town and surrounded by thick forest. The building had sat mostly abandoned for decades until the Council had needed a private place to deal with pack business away from the eyes of the rest of the tribe. The Pack had fixed it up and while it still looked abandoned on the outside to deter people from coming there, the inside was roomy and clean with new benches, floors, and paint.

Leah had walked into the living room to remove her clothing but came back in her wolf body that was smaller than the rest of the pack but still so large in the kitchen that it would have been comical on any other day. She nodded to Embry that she and Sam were both listening.

He cleared his throat, "So basically you just need to order us to do something or whatever it is you did to the stock boy at the grocery store and then we'll see what happens."

"Great plan, Sam" I said sarcastically in Leah's direction. "I can see how it would take you 24 hours to come up with it."

Seth put his hand over his mouth to cover his smile and Embry rolled his eyes. "Come on, let's just get this over with."

For a few moments nobody did anything until I realized they were all looking at me expectantly. "Oh! Ok… ummm…" I looked around the room and my eye caught on a drinking glass. I picked it up and put it in front of Seth and then turned to get the juice out of the fridge and filled the glass. "Seth, drink the juice," I demanded. Seth shook his head. I tried to remember back to what I had done to poor stock boy Drew. I put a sweet smile on my face and moved the cup a little closer, "Seth, will you please drink the juice for me?"

Seth shook his head again but added, "I feel like I can say no but I am really thirsty now. Actually I was probably thirsty when I got here." I sighed as he drained the glass.

Embry opened the fridge again, "Let's try something else." He took the now empty glass and began adding a little bit of whatever he could find. Mustard, horseradish, grenadine and coffee grounds all made their way into the glass along with about a hundred other things. After a few minutes I gave the concoction a stir while trying not to throw up in my mouth. I happily placed the glass on his side of the counter where I could no longer smell it and made eye contact with Seth, "Seth, will you please drink what is in that glass for me?"

Seth's cheeks began to turn bright red, "Well, to be honest now I kind of want to taste it just to see what it's like. Does that count?"

I blanched as Embry threw up his hands and said "That's disgusting, Seth!" Even Leah's wolf looked a little sick. Seth took a small sip and almost instantly turned green. He ran out the back door and not a minute later we could hear him retching in the bushes.

Embry groaned and looked around the room again. Suddenly he walked over to the butcher block on the counter and yanked out a steak knife. He inspected the blade closely and seeming satisfied brought it back to the counter where he placed his left hand flat and held the knife about a foot above it in his right. "Tell me to stab the knife into my hand."

I recoiled like I'd been punched. "What?! No!"

Embry lowered the knife and stared at me levelly across the counter with serious brown eyes, "An, it has to be something I really don't want to do and you have to mean it. This isn't a game; this is serious. If I stab myself, will it hurt like a motherfucker? Hell yeah! But it will heal really fast and there won't be any permanent damage. You understand?"

I nodded. Could I handle it if my own brother stabbed himself because I told him to? I shuddered at the thought of the blood that would spill over the counter. Anybody who could make someone else do that to himself was truly a monster.

Embry rolled the tension out of his shoulders before raising the knife back over his hand and turning his eyes to me, waiting. It didn't help that there wasn't a trace a fear in them.

I paused to lick my dry lips nervously then I focused all my energy on my brother. I felt an odd tingle in the back of my scalp while I appealed to him with as much conviction as I could, "Embry, I would really appreciate if you would stab that knife into your own hand right now."

A few heart-pounding seconds followed where we stared intensely at each other across the counter and then Embry straightened up and put the knife down. I blew out a shaking breath I didn't realize I'd been holding and felt hot tears of relief prick my eyes and spill down my cheeks. In an instant Embry came around the counter and grabbed me up into a hug as I began to sob uncontrollably. "I didn't do it. Shh, little sister, I didn't do it. Everything is going to be okay," he whispered into my hair.

* * *

Leah and Seth left soon after but Embry stayed. Leah told me that someone would be by a little later to talk to me. It was clear I was still on lockdown. Surprisingly, It was a lot easier to be around Embry than Leah. I think he truly believed that I wasn't a danger to him or the Pack. To pass the time he challenged me to some Call of Duty and though we played for hours my kills were uninspired and I spent most of the time listening for the sound of someone at the front door. Around 7 we gave in and called for a pizza. As Embry went to answer the door he gave me an evil grin and asked if I could talk the pizza guy into not charging us. He received my best unamused glare in return. Only ten minutes later there was another knock on the door. This time it was Billy and Sam who came into the house.

"Sorry to keep you so long Anni," Sam said, sitting down on one of the sofas next to Embry. "We had to make sure everyone was in agreement and some of those old guys can be hard to convince."

"In agreement of what?" I asked apprehensively.

Billy spoke up then, "That your Huldra side is not a danger to our community. It is regrettable what your mother did but she was young and scared and none of the council believes she knew better… After reading her letter it sounds like she paid for it in regret and sadness a thousand times over. But you are not her and you are not destined to make her same mistakes."

I had to look away at this. "My Dad wasn't there was he?" I could feel shame burning my cheeks.

"No," Billy said. "He hasn't been an active member of the council in quite some time. Maybe one day when he's sober enough we will tell and then we can lift some weight off an old man's shoulders."

Sam picked up where he left off, "We had a theory before Embry and Seth came to see you this afternoon that you would not be able to control them like you could some others."

"Why would you think that?" I asked, twisting my hands in my lap.

"Because you may have half of your mom's genes but you are also half of your fathers and since Embry has wolf blood from your Dad that means you do too," Sam stated.

Billy took my hand, "You see, Anni? Whatever else you may be, you are first of all Daughter… and Sister… and Mate… and Pack. Pack does not turn against each other. Your wolf blood will not let you turn against your brothers and sisters. You understand?"

I lowered my voice to a pained whisper, "But what about Jacob?"

Billy shook his head, "Your mother had no Pack blood, no allegiance. Her Huldra could control your father as a man. Your wolf blood will not work against anyone in the Pack that way. What you and Jacob have is different. You cannot control him. You are his imprint, his soul mate."

"But what about the stock boy?"

"Drew is also not wolf so apparently you can hold some sway over him and some others. Are you planning on doing that?" Sam asked with a half smile.

"No!" I replied, horrified.

"We trust you and The Pack is always here as the safeguard of our community just in case."

* * *

They left after letting me know I didn't have to stay in the house anymore and I could see Jacob. Embry fell asleep with the controller in his hand after mumbling about a late patrol he had to do. Trying not to wake him I laced up my tennis shoes and slipped out the back door. The sun was on it's way to setting and the forest was darker then I had expected but I wouldn't let it stop me. I just had to see Jacob, just had to see his face to know he was okay even if I wasn't sure I could trust myself with him. Sam and Billy seemed sure but what if they were wrong? Regardless, It had been an emotional day and I just wanted to end it in his arms. I thought he might be able to hear me coming from a mile away but I was surprised to make it all the way to the tree line on my own. I was even more surprised when the first thing I saw was a fancy, black car parked near his front door. But it was what was backlit in the window that made me gasp and move closer to the camouflage of a tree. I should have immediately known that the expensive car was Bella's but it was a testament to the faith I had so recently put in Jacob that her name hadn't even crossed my mind until I saw her standing there with Jacob, not a foot apart. They were having what looked to be an intense conversation and then Jacob took his hands and put them on her face and looked into her eyes. She must have really liked whatever it is he was saying because two seconds later she closed the gap between them and they were kissing. My stomach rolled over on itself as I stumbled away from the tree in disbelief. _Not my Jacob, no._ But he wasn't moving, wasn't pushing her away or stopping it. I walked home in a daze. Then I sat and stared out my window into nothing but darkness in a daze. Finally around 5 in the morning I picked up my phone and dialed information for a taxi cab company in a daze.

* * *

I stood in the dining room window, watching the road. The two bags I had packed were leaning against the wall by the front door and I clutched my purse tightly in my hands even though it was securely hanging from my shoulder already. I had dressed comfortably for the long trip with my jeans tucked into my boots and a white tank top covered by an oversized grey cardigan that easily wrapped around me in case it got too cold on the plane. The laptop was wrapped up securely in a sweater and I would hopefully be able to locate a compatible charger at one of the stores at the airport. I jiggled my knee and bit my lip anxiously while I waited for the cab. I didn't have to wait long. The old, black sedan came trundling along over the potholes in the dirt road right on time. Port Angeles Taxi Service and a phone number were painted in large letters on the side. I hauled my bags out toward the car where I met the middle-aged cab driver opening the trunk. His nametag read 'Tony' in bold, white letters. He looked up at me and smiled, "Never been out this far before. Beautiful country," he said in a hoarse smoker's voice as he relieved me of first one bag and then the other, stowing them safely in the trunk. "Can't imagine why anyone would want to leave. I bet the fishing is fantastic."

I shrugged, "It just doesn't feel like home anymore."

The cab driver studied me for a moment, "You're a little young to look so sad," he finally replied before reaching up to close the trunk.

"Anni! What is this? What's going on?" Tony and I both jumped and turned in the direction of the voice. Jacob was walking out of the forest dressed casually in a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt, his hair loose and still damp from a recent shower. He looked from me to Tony and then to the bags in the trunk, his eyes squinting in a pained expression. "Are you leaving?" he asked in broken disbelief.

"I'm going back to New York and staying with Frankie's family until graduation," I declared as coolly as possible.

There was a stunned silence and then Jacob's expression turned murderous, "The hell you are!" he declared as he began stalking towards us across the yard.

"Uh, are we going to have a problem here?" Tony whispered to me in a worried voice. "I've got a radio in the car if you want me to call for help."

I'd forgotten how intimidating Jacob could be to someone who was unfamiliar with him. Right now he looked about as frightening as I'd ever seen him without wolfing out. His hands were squeezed into fists that caused the muscles in his arms and chest to bulge. "Yeah, we're going to have a problem!" Jake called out.

Tony looked startled that he had been overheard. I gave him my most reassuring smile, "There won't be a problem. You can close the trunk now."

Tony reached his hands up again but a little more uncertainly this time. Jake closed the distance quickly and blocked the door from coming down. "Do _not_ close the trunk," he ordered the tiny-in-comparison Italian man who automatically backed up a few steps.

"Look, I don't want no trouble, kid," he threw his hands in front of him in a gesture of peace.

"Good, then stay out of this," Jake said and then he removed my bags from the car and set them on the ground before turning to face me. "I don't understand what's going on with you. I've been waiting and waiting for Sam to give the all clear for me to come see you because I have been literally dying with out you and when he finally does this is what I come over to see? Why?!"

The pained expression was back on his face but I wasn't going to let it get to me. "Well, I guess I couldn't wait as long as you because I came to see you last night and you sure didn't look like you were dying to me… unless Bella was sucking the life out of you with her lips," I declared caustically. Then I reached down and with a lot more effort than Jake had exhibited I threw my bags back in the trunk.

Understanding and relief crossed his face, "Bella?! That's what this is about? I can explain that." Jacob reached back into the trunk and removed the bags again. "What I don't understand is why you would take off just like that. How could you do that to me?"

"Oh that's rich!" I laughed morbidly. "I catch you _making out_ with another girl and you want to know why I'm leaving? Aren't you the King of taking off like a spoiled child and abandoning everybody who loves you when life doesn't go your way?" Jacob looked like I'd slapped him. With all the anger I could muster I bent down and threw my bags in the trunk once more. My arms were starting to get really sore and Tony had begun following the journey of the bags in and out of the trunk like it was a match at Wimbledon.

Jacob glared at me, "Knock that off!" he demanded. Reaching in and grabbing the first bag he threw it at the house like it weighed no more than a tennis ball and it easily sailed through the air and landed on the porch 50 feet away. The first bag was quickly followed by the second bag, which promptly exploded open upon landing launching my clothes and under things all over the porch and lawn.

"God Jake!" I yelled, throwing my hands up in the air in frustration. "You are the most infuriating person I have ever met in my life!"

"Well, you are the most amazing person I have ever met in my life and I'm not just going to let you walk out of it this way!" he yelled back.

Tony, now completely rattled by Jake's unnatural display of strength, had apparently had enough. "Um… ok, kids. This is clearly a lover's quarrel that the two of you need to work out by yourselves so I'm going to go and there's no charge for the drive out here, k?" He stuck a cigarette in his mouth and began trying to light it with shaking hands. "Young lady, if you are still interested in leaving, just call the company again and someone will come pick you up… Not me because this is clearly a town full of crazy people… but someone will." With that, he slammed the trunk shut and hustled into the drivers seat faster than a man with a beer belly that big should be able to. With a blast of engine exhaust at Jake and I, he was gone.

I choked on the smoke and waved my arms to clear it away quicker before placing my hands on my hips and giving Jacob a withering glare then I gave him a wide berth around the mailbox as I considered my clothes all over the lawn. "Now look what you've done, you big jerk!"

"Fuck, you look hot when you're mad." My jaw dropped when I saw the look in Jacob's eyes. It was unbridled lust. He started walking… no, stalking towards me like he was about to throw me down in the grass and have me right there. He looked completely wild and out of control.

Instinctively I began to back up, raising one hand between us like some kind of barrier, "No, Jacob… we are not animals. We need to sit down and talk."

Jacob advanced until his chest hit my outstretched hand and then he took it one step further; bending my arm and moving into my personal space, "Speak for yourself. I'm about to show you exactly what kind of animal I am," his voice was low and dangerous and it made something in my gut clench unpleasantly. Without another word he threw me over his shoulders like a caveman with his kill and began to march back towards the house.

* * *

**AN: Buh Buh Buhhhhh. I know some of you can see where this story is going, you smart cookies, you. Leave me a nice review if you liked it! I love me some reviews. -AJ**


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